Beyond Eclipse
by CupkateCullen
Summary: Bella made her choice and was positive what she wanted. However, as it often happens in life, events can alter even the best laid plans. "I held up my hand. 'Wait...I am going to become one of you...Just not yet.' I looked at Edward, my eyes pleading."
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to the infinitely more clever Stephenie Meyer.**

The wedding had been beautiful. I didn't think that I wanted to be a bride but after it was all said and done, I realized it was the most perfect ending to my human life. My old family, Charlie, Renee, and Phil, and my new family, the Cullens, were all there to celebrate the beginning of Edward's and my existence together (though the Cullens knew that this marriage was more permanent than my human family thought.) Alice had dressed me in lace from head to toe like some life sized Barbie doll, but even I couldn't deny that she had style. As a finishing touch she decided that I should wear the hyacinth blue shoes that I had worn to my one and only prom, being that I could now wear both of them. They were my something blue.

I remember floating - as much as someone as klutzy as I could float- down the aisle on Charlie's arm and seeing my husband to be for the first time. Though it was a cloudy day, it still seemed to me that he was radiating light from every surface. I had never seen him so luminous. His topaz eyes were glittering with excitement and joy and his face shone with something so intense that even the word love didn't seem profound enough to describe it. Despite feeling more beautiful than I ever had, I felt insignificant and small next to my fiancée's undeniable beauty. But all those feelings faded as he began to say his vows.

"Bella, from the first moment I was near you I knew that you and I were meant for each other. You have changed me and challenged me in ways that I didn't think possible. You are la mio cantante. I will love you for the rest of my existence."

Of course Edward's vows were perfect. It seemed everything he did was perfect. I couldn't wait until it was my turn to be the beautiful, eloquent, graceful creature that he and his family were. And that time was almost here.

Minus the dancing, upon which Alice and Edward insisted upon me doing at least a few times, the reception was better than I could have imagined. The food was delicious (I couldn't imagine where the Cullens were hiding the food that they were most obviously not eating), and even I had to admit, the party gave me some nice closure with my human family. I wish that I could share with them the permanence of our upcoming separation. Maybe its better that I can't.

My only regret is that I couldn't share my joy over my new life with my old friends from La Push, especially Jacob. Since Jacob's disappearance after our last conversation, none of the Quileute boys would return my phone calls. With no information on where Jacob was or what he was doing, I knew that I would leave my human life feeling incomplete. The small part of my heart that would always belong to my Jacob still ached for him and the pain I knew he must be feeling. But given another choice between him and Edward I would choose the same. Without Edward, there was no life. Jacob once described him as my drug. I guess that is an apt description as Edward once equated me to his brand of heroin. I smiled to myself, entertained by the thought of us both as druggies.

As I was sitting in my chair reminiscing about the day, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. I twisted around and was met with my favorite crooked smile.

"Are you ready to leave or do you want to stare into space for awhile longer?"

I grimaced, not realizing that I had been motionless for so long. I shrugged, which I felt was convincingly cavalier given the magnitude of the things I had been thinking about. "I'm ready. Where are we going?"

Edward continued to smile, his liquid eyes not completely masking his humor at my attempt at nonchalance. "Bella, you and I both know you can't lie. I don't know why you even bother to try. What's on your mind?"

I noticed the subtle change in his expression, the humor being replaced by the confusion and slight irritation at not being able to read my thoughts. "Its really nothing." I knew the subject of Jacob was not a happy one and I didn't want to discuss my almost other love with my new husband, especially on our wedding day. I placed my hands in his ever freezing marble grip. "Take me away. I am your prisoner."

I barely registered his quick grin as he plucked me off of the chair and dashed toward the trees, my dress streaming out behind us like a white plume of smoke. I don't remember why I ever thought running with Edward was scary. It is the most exhilarating feeling, the wind tugging curls out of my elaborate updo and drying out my teeth as I smiled with utter contentness. It took me awhile to realize that Edward had been running for much longer than we had ever run together before.

"Where are we going?"

His answering smile was like lightning. "You didn't think I was going to allow our first night as husband and wife to be spent together in a house with a bunch of vampires who hear too much, did you? I'm taking you to a place I knew when I was much younger."

It seemed like we were running for days, but since I was with Edward the time passed quickly. As the sun began to set I noticed Edward start to slow. As I appraised my surroundings it appeared that we were approaching the outskirts of a small town. Edward dipped his head and ran his icy lips along my neck to my ear.

With a gentle whisper he said, "We're almost there, but we can't run the rest of the way. I noticed a nice little Audi parked a mile back. I suppose you're still opposed to grand theft auto?"

I shivered as his cool breath sent tingles down my spine and felt a small grin spread across my face in spite of myself. "Can't you just go to a car dealership like a normal person," was my exasperated reply.

Edward chuckled in response. "Oh fine. But I imagine you won't always be so against borrowing vehicles."

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him. He set me on my feet, which I didn't realize until now were almost numb from being motionless for so long. Coupled with the high heels which I could barely walk in when my legs were in normal operating condition, I promptly began to fall over. Edward's arms tightened around me.

I couldn't help but grimace. "I can't wait until I can to walk across a flat surface without almost falling flat on my face."

"I don't know. I think your clumsiness is one of your more endearing qualities."

I resisted the urge to punch Edward in the arm. I knew all I would get for my troubles is another broken knuckle. "Come on. Let's go get ourselves a car before I get another year older."

After locating the dealership and finagling with the salesman we ended up in a sporty blue Saab.

Shortly thereafter, we were on our way again, driving way too fast through a very large city. It took me a while to recognize the landmarks that were whizzing by my window, though I had only seen them in pictures before. I realized with shock that we had traveled much farther than I had thought. "We're in Chicago?!"


	2. Chapter 2

Edward turned to look at me no longer paying attention to the road, his smile radiant. "My first home. Where my second life began. I figured it would be fitting if we started our new life together here as well."

I was still collecting my thoughts and recovering from my shock as we pulled up to our destination. The house was so...grand. That was the only word I could think to describe it. It was painted a lovely dove white with a large two story porch flanked by tall columns on either side. There were large pots standing sentry on both sides of the stairs overflowing with a riot of multicolored flowers. Sitting on at least half a manicured acre in the middle of Chicago was Edward's family home.

I didn't realize until this moment that I was feeling a little wounded, not having known that Edward still had a house from another life. It must have shown in my eyes.

Edward was staring at me with concern etched on his face. "You don't like it?"

"No Edward. Its perfect, of course. I just wish I had known..." My voice trailed off. I didn't know how to tell Edward on our wedding night that I was unhappy to discover more secrets. Would I always feel like I was just on the fringe of Edward's life? I'm beginning to realize that even though I know Edward almost better than I know myself sometimes, I know next to nothing about his past life.

Despite not being able to read my thoughts, Edward seemed to know just what was running through my head.

"I promise Bella. This is my last secret. I wanted to give you the last part of my life as a sort of wedding present. The last part of me that isn't already yours. I know how you don't like gifts but I hope this one is alright with you."

My eyes were shining with traitorous tears but I could not stay mad at Edward, especially when his eyes were boring into mine beseechingly. I smiled a watery smile. "Then take me to our suite."

With a smile that knocked me breathless, his angel face shone with excitement and anticipation. He whisked me to his bedroom, which I assumed was on the second floor but could not be sure as we arrived there so fast. I barely had time to appreciate the varying jade tones in the beautifully appointed room before my heart kicked into 12th gear. I realized what was about to happen. I was Edward's wife. We were alone. It was his turn to fulfill his part of the agreement.

Edward's lips twisted up as he heard my heart accelerate. "You're not having second thoughts, are you love? Please tell me now before I can no longer restrain myself."

I laughed at the absurdity of his statement. "Of course not. Its just I've never done this before, much less with vampire that thirsts for my blood."

He wound his fingers with mine, his eyes scorching. "Bella, you know I would never hurt you."

"I know. But its still sort of a big deal. Vampire thirst or not." Deciding it was now or never, feeling more self conscious and awkward than usual, I reached up and helped Edward out of his tux jacket. He tossed it to a nearby chair without so much as a hesitation. He painstakingly removed the pins holding my hair in place so that it cascaded down my back in gentle mahogany waves. I undid the buttons of his dress shirt, my shaking hands tearing a few away from his shirt so that they bounced echoingly loud (it seemed to me) off the hardwood floor.

Edward simply smiled as he slid his arms out of the sleeves and added the shirt to the chair already occupied by his jacket. Despite having seen it before, the sight of his faultless marble chest still managed to make me feel slightly light headed. How could anything so perfect be meant for me?

Swiftly, Edward scooped me up and gently deposited me on the bed, my gown swirling around me like some sort of whipped frosting. He sat behind me with a leg on either side of me and ever so slowly unfastened every button on the back of my dress. I didn't realize until now that the bed was covered in a sumptuous emerald and gold comforter that seemed to take its name very seriously. I actually felt comforted as I concentrated on the cool fabric and Edward's even cooler hands working their way down my back.

For me, it seemed like an eternity had passed before all the buttons were undone so I couldn't even begin to imagine how long it must have been to Edward, but he never quickened his pace. That was just fine with me as I was content to spend many more eternities sitting on this bed with my new husband. Edward had other ideas.

Once finished with the buttons Edward lifted me again and placed me back on my feet. Without the buttons to hold it up, my dress pooled to the floor at my feet. All that was left covering my blushing body were my undergarments, flimsy lacy things insisted upon by Alice.

Edward leaned back to admire his handiwork. The moonlight streaming through the multitude of windows illuminated my milky skin, making it appear even paler than normal despite the red flush that seemed to be seeping through every pore in my body. An appreciative smile slowly spread across his face, making me blush even deeper. Edward took a step so we were standing so close we were nearly touching. He exhaled the breath that I didn't know he was holding, enveloping me in his excruciatingly sweet scent. "You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen."

Despite my embarrassment, I almost laughed. "Come on. You live with Rosalie. Even you aren't that good of a liar."

He twined his fingers with mine. "I'm not lying Bella. To me, you are perfect." With that, he reached around and let his pants fall to the floor with my dress. Once again, my heart beat jumped up another notch. He carefully wrapped his arms around me and carried me back to the bed.

The next few hours were spend with the sight, smell, touch, and sound of Edward surrounding me, permeating me. I never wanted it to end, but I wanted it to end immediately so we could do it all over again. Only once did Edward have to step back to allow the thirst that scorched his throat to dull. It went so much better than either of us could have imagined.

Lying in bed after we were finished, me covered in sweat, Edward looking impossibly fresh, we simply reveled in the feeling of being together. We laid that way until the creeping sun began to turn the sky a brilliant deep burgundy and I drifted off to sleep.

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**Thanks for taking the time to read my story. Its my first attempt at writing (other than school) so I'd appreciate your comments! Any ideas, praise, or constructive criticism would be valued.**


	3. Chapter 3

I was woken by the gleaming sunlight streaming through the windows. Now that it was light, and now that last night's anxiousness had passed, I had time to really admire the style in which this room was decorated. It was tastefully expensive looking, without being ostentatious. The walls were painted a warm light gold and seemed to glow in the sunlight. The two windows on each wall let in so much light it was a wonder that I didn't start sparkling too. Rich jade curtains tumbled to the floor on either side of each window from valances covered in the same fabric. Once again, I felt slightly insignificant and unworthy lying in this beautiful room on this massive 4 poster bed that probably cost more than everything in my room at home combined.

I was so busy dwelling on Edward's room that it wasn't until now that I noticed the smell of waffles and syrup drifting up from some unseen kitchen. It was a bit irritating to remember that in addition to all his other skills Edward was also an excellent cook, despite not having the proper sense of smell or taste.

"Show off," I muttered under my breath.

"I heard that!" came the reply from downstairs.

"You were supposed to." I hopped out of bed and shuffled to the closet. I knew that Edward would have planned ahead and procured some clothes for me to wear, other than my wedding dress. I giggled to myself thinking of having to wear my dress to run errands or do whatever else was on our agenda for today.

I sucked in a breath when I opened the closet door. One whole side of the enormous walk in closet was filled of expensive me sized clothes, most of which were some shade of blue. "Alice," I grumbled. I chose the most comfortable non designer looking top with a pair of jeans and headed downstairs.

Edward greeted me with a sheepish grin. "That closet is not my fault. I told Alice that you would be fine with a simple change of clothes but you know how she goes overboard. She insisted you were in serious need of some Michael Kors."

"Coors? Like the beer?"

Edward just shook his head. "No silly, Kors. You know, major fashion designer. Project Runway. Oh, never mind. You know I don't care what you wear anyway. You're always beautiful to me."

I couldn't help but smile. Alice's attempts to get me into some expensive clothes were nothing if not persistent. I reminded myself that I had to keep a bit more of an open mind. The last time Alice insisted on going over the top – our wedding – turned out to be the best day of my life so far.

With that settled Edward suddenly appeared next to me and gathered me into his arms. With his eyes gazing into mine shining with love, he murmured, "Good morning." He ducked his head and traced a line from my collarbone to my ear with his lips. His cool breath on my neck made my hairs stand on end and sent a shiver down my spine. I pulled his face to mine and touched my lips to his.

Much to my chagrin, Edward pulled away from my kiss. He put on his best martyr face. "I've slaved away in the kitchen all morning and you don't even want to try it?"

"I'd much rather spend the morning kissing you."

"I would be more than happy to go along with that agenda, but I could hear your stomach rumbling upstairs from down here. Breakfast time."

Even though I wanted to, I could hardly disagree. The smell was delectable, and I'm sure it tasted even better.

After breakfast (which of course was delicious and perfect) Edward spent the rest of the day giving me a tour of his immense house. He showed me dozens of photo albums filled with pictures of his family and himself when he was much younger. I was particularly taken with a photograph of Edward. It was taken with he was about 15 years old. He looked like a duller, green eyed (at least I assumed green as the picture was black and white) version of his current self, though by human standards he was still quite attractive. The most amazing thing was that his hair looks exactly the same now as it did in the picture. I kept that photo for my own scrapbook.

Before long, after I had become absorbed with Edward's past life, he reached over and kissed part of my exposed collarbone with his cool lips. "Its time to go love. We have a flight home to catch."

"We're flying home?" I was a bit disappointed since I enjoyed running with Edward so much.

"Yes. Its a tad faster than running and we have an appointment with Carlisle to keep." Though he was trying to hide it, I caught his slight grimace.

"I didn't know it was an appointment. You make it sound like a funeral." I guess it was a funeral in one way, as the change would be ending my human life.

Edward didn't miss the irony in my statement. "Bella, you don't have to do this if you don't want to." Despite everything we have been through, all the discussions we have had, and the Volturi sentence hanging over my head, I heard the hope in his voice.

"I can't believe you think that I wouldn't want this. I married you. I want you for eternity, not until I get old and die. I don't even want to think about it. Let's go home!"

EDWARD'S POV

I still can't help but think I'm being selfish. I want Bella to be like me more than I've ever wanted anything before in my long drawn out existence but at what cost? Is she doing this for the right reason? Trading her humanity and mortality for a damned eternity with me.

Can Carlisle really be right? Is there hope for an afterlife for our kind? If only I could answer that question. It would make what Bella is about to so much more reasonable. How can she be so sure of herself? More than any other time before, I wish I could read her mind to know what she is really thinking.

Just then, Bella reached her hand over toward mine and looked at me with naked, undisguised love and adoration pouring out of her every feature. How she could love me so much after what I did to her is still baffling, but I'm happy all the same. Happy that she saved me, happy that she took me back, and somewhere deep down, happy that she wants to spend forever with me.

I reached up and tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, smiling to myself as I watched the blood rush to her cheeks and stain them pink. I loved Bella more than she could ever know. If only I had answers…

I helped Bella pack some of her new wardrobe into a suitcase, loaded it into the car, and drove to the airport lost in my thoughts and surrounded by the ever present scent of Bella.

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A little filler, a little fluff. I'm just so into descriptions I get a little carried away. Thanks for reading! I'd really appreciate some feedback.

-kc

p.s. sorry, this is a repost of this chapter. I was having formatting issues.


	4. Chapter 4

BELLA'S POV

The private jet from O'Hare to Port Angeles was quicker, but at the same time slower than any commercial flight I had been on. Time seemed to stand still as our plane mimicked the sun's westward dash across the sky. It was nice to spend a few hours with Edward without something anxiety inducing on the immediate agenda.

We talked about nothing in particular. Books, music, movies. Since I had agreed to marry him, it was Edward's new mission to educate my taste in the arts. I smiled to myself thinking about his comment regarding my Jane Austen fixation, "The books don't change Bella. Now stop abusing them and let them have a nice rest on your bookshelf." He handed me some esoteric heroic romance by a guy named Boyle. I haven't been able to get past the first 30 pages.

We landed in mere hours and were back to the Cullen home, my home, before the sun had completely sunk below the horizon. I glanced up at Edward as we walked up the porch steps, noting that again he looked slightly ill but somehow excited all at the same time. I squeezed his hand in what I hoped was a reassuring gesture.

Edward glanced down at me, grinned slightly and shook his head. "You, my dear Bella, are incorrigible." I couldn't help but giggle.

All the Cullens greeted us at the door, even Rosalie, who despite our previous talks, still looked unhappy about the night's planned event.

"Bella!" Esme was beaming. "Welcome home!" She walked over and gave me a careful hug as if she was still trying not to hurt or scare me.

"How are you feeling Bella?" Carlisle asked, smiling warmly.

I thought about that for a moment. Surprisingly, I discovered I was not the least bit nervous. I was thrumming with anticipation, but not uneasy like I thought I'd be. "I'm doing great. I'm ready to get this show on the road."

Emmett's answering laugh echoed through the first floor. "I can't agree more! I can't wait to see how a human as clumsy as you turns out as a vampire! I've never seen a vampire trip and fall, but I'm sure you could be the first." I gave Emmett my best withering look, but deep down I was slightly amused and knew that he was probably right.

Alice winked at me and whispered, "Don't worry. You are going to turn out fine. I can't believe this day is finally here!" Edward shot Alice a scowl. It seemed he still wasn't thrilled about my choice.

Alice was undeterred. "Oh, stop trying to ruin our fun. Its what Bella wants and you know its better in the long run that she be a bit more resilient." A low growl started to rumble out of Edward's chest.

My previous excitement was slowly being replaced by exasperation. I placed my hand on Edward's shoulder and rocked up on my toes so my mouth could reach his ear. "Edward, please

stop. We've had this discussion already. Now all I'm asking is for your support." I quickly planted a peck on his marble cheek and sunk back down to my normal height.

Disconcertingly, a warm feeling of comfort and contentment washed over me. No matter how many times Jasper manipulated my emotions, it was still always a bit bewildering. In this instance, it was also welcome. No doubt Jasper thought that this tense situation needed diffusing before anybody could mount any argument one way or the other. I turned my head around to shoot a look of gratitude over my shoulder at Jasper, who as always, was standing a comfortable distance away from me in the corner.

"Come on upstairs Bella. Let's get started." Carlisle reached for my hand unoccupied by Edward's and led both of us to Edward's room. I crossed the plush carpet and scooted myself to the center of the king sized bed that occupied the middle of the room.

"Can I have a few minutes alone with Bella before we go any further?" Edward glanced at all of his family, but mostly his intense gaze remained focused on me.

"Of course Edward. Let us know when you are ready." Carlisle ushered the rest of his family out of the room.

The lingering ease created by Jasper faded as he drifted to the hallway. I finally began to feel the first inkling of nervousness. It wasn't for the change I was about to make though. I was hoping Edward wasn't beginning to have second thoughts about changing me himself. I had become so set on the idea of Edward's venom being the one to change me that I was starting to panic at the thought of having to ask Carlisle. Edward read the alarm on my face.

"Bella, I am going to ask you one last time. Are you sure this is what you want? A life without a soul? A life without humanity?" His worried face crumpled into an agonized expression.

I stood up, walked to Edward, and wrapped my arms around his waist. I looked into his eyes with as much determination as I could muster. "This is what I wanted from the day I knew I loved you. There was never a question of me growing old while you remained 17 forever. You know my thoughts on souls too. How could someone so good and kind not have a soul? And I know you are staring to believe it too. But as long as I have eternity with you it doesn't matter anyway." I paused. Asking this question felt awkward somehow after my last little speech. "You aren't…having second thoughts are you? About changing me?"

I was relieved to see Edward finally smile, even if it was only the faintest ghost of a grin. "I give up. If this is truly what you want then I will uphold my side of the bargain. I will change you myself. You'll be my little monster." With that, his face broke out into a full smile, his white teeth gleaming in the lamplight. The sight of his razor sharp teeth made me shiver a bit in anticipation of the pain. I had never been much of a masochist so the thought of writhing in pain for 3 days wasn't a pleasant one, but the end result made it all worthwhile.

Edward pulled me closer, tightening his arms around my shoulders and softly kissed the top of my head. I pulled my head back and tipped my face toward his. I wanted to feel his cool lips on mine one last time before my lips were just as cold and hard as his. He pressed his mouth against mine, gentle as always, careful to keep his teeth away from my soft skin. I threw myself into the kiss with a little too much enthusiasm, as I often did and heard his responding chuckle as he pulled away. "You'll have to wait for another 3 days for that kind of kiss."

I pouted a little, but I didn't really mean it as I was anxious to begin my transformation. Edward led me back to the bed saying softly, "We're ready now."

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**Thanks again for taking the time to read my guilty pleasure. Review please! I don't know what to change if I don't get feedback!**

**-kc**


	5. Chapter 5

Faster than seemed possible, Carlisle led the rest of his family back into the bedroom.

Family. Just as I thought it, the word hit me like a wrecking ball. At this moment, the most significant point in my life thus far, all I could think of was my family. Not just my new family, the family that I was ready to willingly join, but my old family as well. One person in particular. Damn him for ruining this too.

I held up my hand. "Wait."

Edward looked at me questioningly. "Wait?" His confusion was apparent in his voice.

I looked at him, my eyes pleading in their attempt to make him understand. How could he since I have been begging him for this for the past year? "I can't. Not yet. I am going to become one of you. I am going to be yours for eternity Edward. Just not yet. There's something I need to do first."

It was causing me physical pain to see the uncertainty in Edward's eyes. I could see the questions forming, the doubts beginning to stir. I watched as he slid his glance toward Alice and noticed her slight head shake in response. He whipped his gaze back to mine.

"Bella, you can't be serious!"

I watched as his face deflated into a mask of defeat and sadness, sure of the conclusions he must have reached. Alice, and therefore Edward, knew what I wanted had something to do with the werewolves since as soon as I made that decision my future disappeared. Edward, in turn, thought that I wanted to be positive I made the right choice in picking him. He had made the wrong assumption.

In that instant, the rest of the Cullens made a hasty and silent retreat to offer us some much needed privacy. I was grateful for their tact.

It took me a moment to compose my thoughts. I was horrified that Edward could think I had any doubt that I want _him_, nobody else, ever. I was married to him, for God's sake! How could a creature as perfect as him have so much self doubt? I shook my head, more as a gesture to clear it, than to outwardly express my displeasure with the way this night was turning out, though I know it was far from going how we had planned. I looked back into Edward's eyes, from which he was trying valiantly to block the hurt.

"Edward, how could you ever think that I would be able to choose anyone over you?" I honestly wanted to know his answer.

He looked at me questioningly. "How could I not? I know that loving me comes with a price that most wouldn't be willing to pay. Your humanity, children, family. You know that I want you to have all that, and more. With me, you can't," he finished simply. His gaze drifted down to the comforter where his fingers were absentmindedly toying with a loose thread.

I couldn't believe we were having this conversation again. An exasperated sigh escaped my lips. I needed to make him understand there is no choice, there never was. "Edward. Look at me." His gaze returned to mine.

I could feel my eyes blaze as they burned into his. "I am here with you now ready to make the biggest change of my life, for you, for us. You are my _husband_. I love _you_. You need to get that through your thick vampire skull or so help me when I am changed I'll have to beat it into you."

He looked at me appraisingly. "Then what is it you need exactly?"

"I've made peace with the fact that Charlie and Renee will get along without me. But Jacob is my family too. I can't move on without knowing that I haven't permanently damaged him. I need to know that he is ok." Even as I was speaking the words my mind was screaming at me, selfish, selfish, selfish! What was wrong with me?

Edward must have noticed my inner turmoil. "Maybe its better if you keep your distance from Jacob." Seeing my answering glare, he rephrased what he was trying to say. "Ok, Bella. I get it. You don't want him that way. But put yourself in his shoes. Would you really want to talk to him again if the situation were reversed? If the love of your life chose to be turned into your mortal enemy over you?"

I could see his point. But I knew deep down that I could not move into my next life without tying up all the loose ends in my first. "I'm sorry Edward. I really am, but this is something I have to do." I paused. Something he said resonated with me. "I really don't even want to see him as much as I want to know he is ok." Selfish! But it was the truth.

Edward was beginning to look slightly more relaxed. He reached down and ran his finger along my cheekbone. "You, Bella Cullen, are the most impossible creature to understand."

It gave me chills of pleasure to hear him call me by my married name. I snuggled closer to him, fitting myself to the side of his cool body. I reached my face up so I could press my lips to his jaw line, letting a sigh of contentment slip.

It was a strange feeling I was having now. On one hand, I was totally content resting against my husband's perfect form. On the other, my insides were roiling with confusion over my latest decisions. The best I could come up with to help put Edward at ease was to whisper a soft "Thank you" in his ear.

He leaned away from me to get a better view of my face. "For what?"

I could feel the heat of the blood rushing to my cheeks triggered by the intensity of his stare. "For your understanding."

"Truth be told, I'm not sure that I do. But if its what you need then I support your decision."

What did I do to deserve this person? I wasn't sure, but I was happy. More than happy. Now I just had to figure out how get the information I needed so I could move on.

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**I hope my choice to delay Bella's change isn't too upsetting! A little suspense always makes a story better, right? (Don't worry, it will happen. Its written already.)**

**Thanks as always for reading and please take a few seconds to let me know what you think.**

**-kc**


	6. Chapter 6

After a brief nap, I woke curled under the golden comforter in our room, cloud covered afternoon light filtering through the closed sheers. Edward and the most of the other Cullens departed on a brief hunting jaunt a few hours previously. Alice volunteered to stay with me, most likely noticing that my emotional state was not very stable right now. She probably thought I was going to fling myself off a cliff with Jacob again. Truth be told, I wasn't feeling particularly pleased with myself. I couldn't figure out why, after all my begging and pleading to be changed, that I would delay it. I grimaced as I tried to sort out my emotions in my head.

One; I loved Edward and I wanted to be with him forever, as his equal. Ok, that's good, nothing changed there. No wavering over my feelings for my husband. None at all. That realization made me feel a little better. Two; I needed to know that Jacob was ok before I wasn't able to talk to anyone in La Push anymore. I tried to figure out why this was so important to me. After many minutes of staring at the floor deep in thought, the best I could come up with was that Jake was such a big part of my life, it was simply impossible to move on not knowing that he was safe. Three; I was feeling guilty that I made Edward doubt the depth of my feelings for him. This conclusion hurt the most. I know that after our earlier conversation, I made it clear to Edward that I will always love him, that Jacob was like family, like a brother. The small piece of my heart that belonged to Jacob had scabbed over leaving behind a familial, but not romantic love.

While I was lost in my thoughts, Alice was fidgeting on the black leather couch. I'm sure she's thinking there are much better ways I could be spending my time, such as curling my hair, or zipping into the latest Jimmy Choo boots. Not that Alice is shallow. She just appreciates high quality craftsmanship more than I ever could. For the first time in a very long time I think would have actually preferred Jasper's calming influence. I looked over at Alice, deciding that I could use her as my sounding board.

"Alice, how am I supposed to do this?"

Alice was suddenly sitting next to me on the bed. "You will have to be a little more specific. I'm full of great advice, but I have to know what I'm advising on first."

I shook my head. I have never known vampires to be dense, but their blindness when it came to dealing with the werewolves was sometimes unnerving. "Jacob. How am I supposed to find out what I need to know without hurting Jacob or Edward?"

She reached across the lump of tangled sheets to take my hand, the coolness of her fingers no longer surprising me. "Well, that is a tough one. First, you should know that I do see you and Edward together for a very long time and very happy together. Whatever happens, it will work out. Edward, though hard headed sometimes, is neither unreasonable nor unintelligent. Despite his reaction last night, he knows this is important to you, which makes it important to him." She gave me a small but sad grin. "I wish I could tell you more, but since I can't see the wolves, I'm just as in the dark as you are. We'll have to figure this out the old fashioned way."

I sighed, somewhat deflated. I thought in her usual fashion, Alice would come up with some grand plan. Instead, I was left with no options other than the simple and obvious. "I think, if its ok with all of you, that I'm just going to drive down to La Push. It seems easiest."

Alice pondered that for a moment. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I'm sure Edward will want to go to the border with you though."

"Of course. I wouldn't want it any other way." I sighed again, somewhat relieved that I had made my decision on how to best get to La Push. Now, I only had the simple task of finding someone who will give me the time of day. No problem. I think I'll just wing it when I get there.

Alice seemed to sense the end of our short lived problem solving session. "Ok, enough seriousness for now. There's something I need to show you." She looked excited that we were done being mopey for the time being. Keeping a firm grasp on my hand, she dragged me off the bed and toward her room. Once there, she pushed me down in to her overstuffed armchair. "Sit."

"I'm not a golden retriever," I mumbled under my breath.

Alice's buoyant mood was unaffected by my lack of enthusiasm. "I've been waiting until we had a few moments alone to give this to you. Its your wedding gift."

Typical Alice. "You already gave us a present!"

"But that was for both of you. This is my gift to you."

She handed me a rectangular box wrapped in beautiful ivory paper and tied with a cerulean blue satin ribbon. I held it in my lap, looking apprehensively at my gift.

Alice was impatient with pace, slower than even my usual rate of speed. "Oh open it already!"

"Fine, fine." I grabbed a loose end of ribbon and tugged, gently untying the bow. Remembering the last time I opened presents in this house, I very hesitantly ripped the paper, careful not to cut myself on any of the edges. I never fully appreciated how dangerous paper could be before meeting the Cullens. I tossed the wad of paper into the basket next to the chair. I was left with an exquisite box, covered in a sumptuous blue and silver brocade fabric. "Alice, its beautiful."

Alice shook her head and laughed. "That's not the present. Open the box."

Inside, nestled in bed of ivory silk was a simple leather bound book. I opened the cover. On the first page was an inscription from Alice. "Bella, As you begin your new life with our family, you can begin a new book of memories. Your scrapbook from you mother can be for your human life. This can be for your future life. Your life with us. All my love, your sister Alice."

Futilely trying to hold back my tears, I turned the page. Clipped into metal holders and surrounded by painted freesias was a picture of Edward and me on our wedding day. The next pages held many more wedding pictures along with photos that I didn't know were taken. Photos from biology class with Edward, watching TV with Jasper and Emmett, laughing with Carlisle and Esme, Alice readying me for prom. Those sneaky vampires. It was the perfect present. I tucked the book back into its silk home and placed it on the floor.

With tears trickling down my face despite my efforts, I walked the few steps to Alice and gave her a tight hug. "Thank you so much. You couldn't have gotten me a more perfect gift."

Alice chuckled. "I know. You probably thought I was going to get you more clothes, didn't you?"

I smiled, not able to deny she was wrong. "I thought you were going to try to further my fashion education."

She pulled out of my grasp, her happy grin looking permanently etched onto her face. "That's for later. Right now, our family is returning." With that, she scooped me up and flew down the stairs.

Upon reaching the bottom landing Alice hurtled neatly to a stop just as the front door was opening. She gracefully deposited me on my feet as Edward swept through the front door. He promptly plucked me off the ground into his arms and ran back up the stairs to our room.

He deftly maneuvered me onto the couch, sitting down next to me.

"If you and Alice never let me walk, my muscles are going to waste away to nothing. I'll be a stick vampire," I grumbled. Still, I couldn't help but smile at the image I created.

Edward nuzzled his nose into my neck. "And you will still be the most beautiful whether your legs look like sticks or tree trunks." His voice was full of laughter.

Despite myself, a giggle escaped. "And here I thought you were supposed to be charming." Scooting closer to Edward, my mood sombered. I knew it was time to tell him my plans for this evening. I looked at his face and seeing his expression, he must have known what was coming. "So, I suppose you already know what Alice and I talked about, huh?"

"Yes."

"And I suppose you know that I intend to go today, right?"

He sighed. "Yes."

"And you know that I love you more than anything or anyone else, right?

A slight hesitation, then, "Yes."

"You will come with me to the border, won't you?" I looked hopefully at him, trying to mask my apprehension.

He returned my gaze with blazing eyes. "Of course Bella. I wouldn't be anywhere else. If there is any trouble at all I'll be there for you."

I wrapped my arms around his torso, tightening them as much as I could. I reached up, gently pressed my lips to his cheek and whispered, "Then let's get this over with so we can get on with our lives."

Edward turned his head toward mine and pondered my expression for a moment. Then he delicately placed his stone lips on mine. As always I savored the feel and smell of him as our kiss enveloped my senses. And as always the kiss was over too soon. I looked back to his eyes and was surprised by what I saw there, humor and mischievousness. Without warning he whisked me off the couch, slung me over his back, and sprinted in the direction of his car. "I never said you could drive though." He chuckled as he deposited me into the Volvo.

As we set off toward La Push I couldn't seem to calm the butterflies demanding escape from my midsection. What was I doing?

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**Sorry for the delay getting this chapter out. I had a hard time writing this one. As always, please leave reviews! They make me happy :)**

**-kc**


	7. Chapter 7

As we pulled around a curve on the tree lined road, the Volvo rolled to a stop. Edward must have known how anxious I was feeling and tried his best to not be the cause for more. He kept the speedometer under 70 the whole way. I glanced over at him, finally meeting his intense stare. Worry was emanating from every inch of his body. Unable to hold his gaze, embarrassed and guilty for causing everyone so much apprehension, I turned my head and stared out my rain streaked window.

Edward reached over, tucked his finger under my chin, and turned my head back toward him. "Are you ready?"

Ready? Never. But I wanted to get this over with. I put on what I imagined was a brave smile, thanking fate again that Edward couldn't read my thoughts. "Yes. I want this to be done."

A faint ghost of a grin twitched at the corners of Edward's lips as he observed my attempt at being courageous. "Alright. You take the car. I'm going to wait right here. If there are any problems, any at all, just call." He stretched out his arm and deposited a small black cell phone into my clenched hands.

I made a conscious effort to relax my body, slowly taking in a deep breath. With a final calming glance out my window, I slid the phone into my jacket pocket, and twisted in my seat so I was facing Edward. I reached out my hands and twined his cold fingers with mine. All I could think to say was, "Thanks."

Edward smiled, the humor shining in his eyes belying the seriousness of the moment. "I would say my pleasure, but then I would be lying." He leaned over the armrest and brushed his lips on my cheekbone. "Hurry back, love."

Trying to ignore the chills racing up and down my spine and the heat that sprang up somewhere in my core, I whispered back, "I will."

Edward moved from my cheek to my lips and gave me one of the most poignant kisses we've had, which is saying something, considering all the goodbyes and hellos we've done. I pushed away from him, knowing that I was stalling. I opened my door, climbed out of the car, and walked around to the driver's side.

Edward was standing next to the driver's door by the time I got to the other side of the car. I walked to him, and wrapped my arms around his waist, trying to draw at least an ounce of the strength he radiated. His solid arms slid around my shoulders while I felt his cool breath on my hair. I sighed, pulling away again. Stretching up on my toes, I pecked another kiss on his icy chin and murmured, "I love you." Knowing that I could stand here all evening procrastinating, I turned, got into the driver's seat, and closed the door.

I looked back out the window and tried to etch the image of Edward standing there in my brain. Smiling at him one last time, I pulled away and headed to La Push.

Compared to the deafening noise emitted by my truck, the Volvo was positively quiet. The comparative silence allowed me to pull up to the Blacks' house in relative stealth. I realized very soon this was a good thing. I think had I been driving my truck, I would not have made it two blocks onto the reservation. As it was, after arriving at Jacob's house, I was still met with five very angry looking werewolves, and one seething Billy, but at least I was facing them in the familiarity of Billy's home, and not on a random road. Not that it was going to make this any easier.

In contrast to Billy's usual calm mask, his now irate face was startlingly scary. His eyes were unfathomable and they looked as if they were trying to bore holes into my soul. He spoke to me in a tightly restrained voice. "What are you doing here Bella? What more could you possibly want from us?"

I could feel the uncomfortable flush creeping up my neck, brought on by the continued scrutiny of the six intense stares. I took a deep breath and launched into my very short speech. "I need to know if Jake's alright. I need to know that I didn't ruin everything." I made an effort to make my voice sound strong, sincere, and apologetic. Somehow, though it didn't come out like I wanted.

A sudden flash of movement in the corner caught my eye. Paul had risen from the couch and was stalking toward me. "So what, you came back to see if you could crush him more thoroughly? Maybe stomp on him a little harder this time? Your rock of a husband might not bleed, but Jake sure can. You're nothing but a cold, heartless…"

Sam's hand reached out and caught Paul on the chest, stopping him mid sentence and halting his advance. When he spoke, his voice was like soft, unnerving, ice chilling me to the core. "What does it matter to you Bella? You made your choice. Now live with it. Go home."

I glanced over to Embry and Quil, hoping for the tiniest modicum of support. They looked like twins, standing against the wall, arms crossed, looking at me with pure, unconcealed loathing. I realized that I had not one ally in this room. This time when I spoke I couldn't keep the pleading out of my voice. Looking around the room trying to meet everyone's stares, I begged, "Please, everyone. I know he wants nothing to do with me. I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to try and patch our friendship, though I would like that very much. I just need to know that wherever he is, he's ok."

Continuing to implore them with my eyes, I noticed Leah draped in a chair in the corner, gazing at me with a lazy smirk on her face. She spoke to me for the first time. "Wow, hun. I didn't know you had it in you. Coming down here to face the big bad wolves. Too bad you didn't have the balls to tell Jake how you really felt before it nearly killed him." Sarcasm was dripping from every word. "Now why don't you be a dear and take your homely self back to your filthy leech friends and leave us the hell alone?"

Paul glanced at Leah, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Oooh Leah, that was harsh. Very nice."

Leah smiled, her hard shell dropping for a brief moment exposing the pretty girl she once was. "Thanks. It felt good." It was all gone in an instant though as Sam shot her a reproachful glance.

Billy apparently had heard enough. He silenced everyone with a sharp, "Enough." Six pairs of eyes snapped to his face. "Bella, you need to leave. Now."

I could feel the heat of the tears beginning to burn the back of my eyes. "But Billy…"

He simply shook his head. "You relinquished any rights to knowledge of Jacob the day you walked out of here on my son. Now go."

Sam started walking toward me, herding me in the direction of the door. This could not be happening! I threw my arms out in front of me, the tears now beginning to roll down my cheeks. "Wait, please! Please just tell me that he is ok. That's all I need."

In his same disdainful tone Sam said, "And what does it matter to us what you need?" With that he gave me an unceremonious shove out the door. I stumbled over the threshold, caught my toe on the crack in the top stair, and tumbled onto the front walk. I took all my strength to pull myself up off the ground and lurch to the Volvo. I wrenched the door open and flung myself into the driver's seat. I couldn't control my crying anymore. Draping my arms around my midsection and resting my forehead on the steering wheel, I let the sobs wrack my body.

I wasn't sure how long I was sitting there when I heard a knock on the window. Squinting through puffy, burning eyes I tried to discern who was responsible for interrupting my misery. I couldn't have been any more shocked to see Leah standing outside the car. I rolled down the window. "What do you want Leah?"

She looked nervous, which struck me as odd. After a brief glance around she whispered, "If I tell you what you want to know, will you leave and never bother us again?"

Relief swam through my body as I nodded vigorously. "Yes. Please tell me."

Leah sighed. "We don't know exactly how Jake is. He hasn't phased out of wolf form since he got the invitation. What we do know is that he is somewhere near Fairbanks and is much happier living as a wolf for now."

I was confused. "Invitation? What invitation?"

Leah's derisive sneer began to return. "Your _husband_ seemed to think it would be a good idea to send Jacob an invite to your wedding. Jake left right after opening it."

Of all the stupid things to do! I shook my head, contemplating how I was going to maim Edward. Leah's sigh brought me back to the present. I looked back to her, noting she was now staring off into the woods. "Thank you Leah. But why did you tell me?"

She glanced back to me. "Because no matter how much I don't like you or your choices, if the situation were reversed, I hope you would do the same for me." She offered me the faintest of smiles, turned, and ran off toward the woods.

I sat in the car reflecting on my new knowledge. It wasn't my last conversation with Jake that pushed him over the edge. It was the stupid invitation. The invitation I specifically didn't want sent. At least that made me feel a little better. Perhaps a friendship with Jake isn't out of the question in the distant future.

Now the only thing I had to manage, other than my impending change, was properly dealing with my devious husband. I pulled away from the curb and made my way back to the border.

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**As always, thank you everyone for reading my tale! Please leave reviews, as it is getting harder to write this story. I need feedback :)**

**-kc**


	8. Chapter 8

Driving back to the border, I was suffering from a serious mix of emotions. First, I was relieved to know that wherever he was, Jacob was reasonably ok. Next, I was still a bit shaken up from my close encounter with very angry, very large werewolves. Lastly, I was quite perturbed at my husband's latest attempt at protecting my best interests without telling me. Despite this strange combination of feelings, I was finding my thoughts were once again overwhelmingly focused on Edward. How could someone so smart with more degrees that I can remember, be so hardheaded and dim when it comes to human social interaction?

As I rounded the last tree lined curve before the border I noticed Edward who seemed to be doing his best to wear a permanent path in the grass next to the road. My foot twitched over the gas pedal. One little bump with the car surely wouldn't hurt him. It would serve him right for not consulting with me before he makes large, life-altering decisions. I took a deep breath, realizing the direction my thoughts were heading. Sending a wedding invite to someone does not constitute a life-altering event, despite the outcome. _Breathe Bella_ I told myself. It was just a wedding invite, not Chernobyl.

I pulled over on the gravel shoulder next to Edward's new path. Before I put the car in park, I was being whisked out of the driver's seat into some very strong marble arms. As I was trying to gain my bearings, questions were being fired at me faster than I could comprehend. All I caught of the flood of words being hurled at me was, "What happened to...Where have...anybody mean?" 

Despite having been previously annoyed, I had to smile. Nothing will ever change. Edward will always be my overprotective knight, riding into battle to save the poor helpless princess. I giggled to myself picturing Edward in armor on horseback. 

Apparently frustrated with my lack of answers, Edward abruptly placed me back on my feet and took a half step back from me. Breaking from my reverie, I looked up at his face, which was currently creased into an unhappy frown, his topaz eyes sparking with impatience. "Bella, what happened?" He reached out and grabbed my hands which were scraped from my stumble down the steps. I tried unsuccessfully to hid my wince. Flipping my hands over, Edward examined my battle damage as anger began to cloud his expression. In a deadly, controlled voice Edward asked, "Who did this to you?"

I pulled my hands out of his grasp, and placed my right palm on his chest. "Wait. Before you run off and start exterminating werewolves, no one did this to me. I tripped down the stairs." I pointed at myself. "Remember, clumsy Bella? Just relax." Edward was visibly trying to calm himself, taking deep measured breaths, seemingly staring at his shoes. Looking back at me again, he sighed. "Ok, tell me. What happened?"

Watching Edward's face as I told him about La Push would have been comical had the situation been so not funny. The rapid flickers of emotion across his face belied everything Edward was trying to hide. Feelings of resentment, anger, loathing, and reluctant gratitude passed across his features in correspondence with different parts of my story. "...and that was it. She just ran off into the forest."

We were both silent for a moment as Edward was assimilating what I told him, and I debated whether to bring up the invite or not. Now that I was done talking, I was beginning to notice the chill of the night air as a slight shiver slid down my spine. Edward closed the space between us and began rubbing his hand over my goose bump covered arms. He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. "Bella," he whispered. "I know there is something you aren't telling me."

Edward was too perceptive for his own good, but he opened the door for me to launch into my little rant. "Ok, I had decided that I was going to be nice and not bring it up, but since you mentioned it, yes, there is one thing I didn't mention." I pulled my head away from his lips so I could observe his reaction. "Do you happen to know anything about a certain wedding invitation that might have been sent to a particular werewolf, one that was explicitly not supposed to be sent?" Like a little boy caught reading his dad's Playboy, Edward's face suddenly morphed into an expression of pure innocence. He should have been an actor. With sincerity ringing in every word he said, "I don't know what you are talking about." 

I held up my hand in front of his face in a stopping gesture. "Enough. I know you sent Jacob an invite to our wedding. Do you know that is what tipped him over the edge? That is what caused him to run away, not my choosing you over him. What were you thinking Edward?" I could feel my cheeks flushing with my renewed anger. 

Edward dropped the innocent act and simply sighed. "I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't understand. I may not be human Bella, but I am still a man, and still have a man's feelings. If the situation were reversed, I would have liked the same courtesy extended to me. I really wasn't meaning to do any harm. Just the opposite in fact. Please believe me." His eyes began to do their unfair pleading trick again, looking into mine as if they were trying to burn the apology directly into my soul. With that, as soon as my anger began to surface, it was gone. Even though he was my husband, the fact that Edward could manipulate my emotions so well was disconcerting. 

"Are you sure that you haven't learned some tricks from Jasper in my brief absence?"

My sudden change of topic caused a crease of confusion to form between Edward's brows. "What are you talking about?"

I could feel the grin stretch across my face. "Well, it seems that since I've been away in La Push you have acquired the remarkable skill of messing with my feelings. I figured you must have been talking with Jasper."

Edward's answering smile matched my own. "But I've been able to do that for a long time darling. You just haven't realized it yet. For example..." With twinkling eyes, he bent his head down and blew his cool breath in a trail from my ear to the hollow above my collarbone. Immediately, more shivers flew down my back, while the hot flush that subsided with the anger began to creep back up my neck. With unfocused eyes, I looked up into Edward's triumphant face. "See? in a matter of seconds you went from amusement to what I'm imagining is something close to desire. Am I correct? You are putty in my capable hands."

I took a few deep breaths to regain my balance. I knew that before I got swept away in the moment, I had to ask Edward for a promise. I also knew that it would be easiest to procure if he was as fuzzy and distracted as I was a moment ago. I began trailing my fingers up his arm, working my way to the topmost fastened button on his shirt. I began fiddling with it as I placed delicate kisses along his jawline while whispering near his ear. "Ok Casanova. Before you get carried away with your impressive 'skills' I need you to promise me something."

"Anything..."

I smiled to myself. "I need you to promise me that you will never make a big decision without consulting me again."

Edward pulled himself away from my persuading lips and looked down at me appraisingly. After what seemed like hours of consideration, he raised his hand out in front of him. "Its a deal."

I stuck out my pinkie instead. "My hands hurt. Can we pinkie swear?"

Edward looked confused again. "Um, sure..."

I couldn't hold in my laugh any longer. The befuddled look on Edward's face was priceless. "All you do is link pinkies, like this." I grabbed his hand, laced his little finger with mine and shook. "There, now its official."

No longer appearing the least bit perplexed, Edward's eyes began to scorch into mine again. "Good. Now that the formalities are out of the way, I propose the next activity on our agenda take place back at our house, more specifically in our bedroom." Before I had a chance to respond, Edward was laughing quietly as he scooped me up, deposited me gently in the passenger seat, and slipped into the driver's position. Purring softly, the car slipped away from the shoulder and onto the road. 

Looking coyly over at him, I used my best temptress voice as I murmured, "What exactly did you have in mind? If you are open to suggestions, I might have a few addendums for our meeting."

The car began to speed faster down the road. With a quick glance over my way, Edward smiled. "Bella, you have no idea what you do to me." No sooner were the words out of his mouth did the car abruptly begin to slow while Edward started muttering a stream of profanities. 

I shot a look out the window but didn't see anything that would elicit such a strong reaction. Worriedly, I looked at Edward. "What?"

He growled in frustration. "You are never going to believe this. Being in your intoxicating and enticing presence, I seemed to have let my concentration slip."

I still wasn't understanding what he was trying to tell me. "What?"

As if in response, a siren began to wail behind us while blue and red lights illuminated the trees lining the road. Of all the rotten timing. "Charlie," I grumbled under my breath. So much for built in radar detector. I guess our extracurricular meeting would have to be postponed. We now had explaining to look forward to as Charlie thought we were on our honeymoon.

Edward glanced over at me with a sly smile on his face. "You know, this car could outrun his. We could be back to our place before he even realized he lost us."

I sighed with defeat and shook my head. "Sorry dear, but he knows your car. All he'll do is come over to the house. Either way, our night is shot."

"Fine. Meeting adjourned." With that, Edward eased back to the shoulder, rolled down his window, and waited for Charlie. 

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**To all my repeat reviewers and all those who have put my story on your favorite and alert list, **_**thank you so much!**_** You guys give me the encouragement to keep writing.**

**Keep reading and reviewing. As the mirror is to Rosalie, feedback is to me.**

**-kc**


	9. Chapter 9

As the cruiser pulled up behind us, its lights bouncing off the interior of our car, inspiration struck. My gaze flew to Edward, who was sitting as still as a statue most likely thinking that Charlie was going to haul him to jail given the chance. I wasn't about to let that happen. "Quick! Change seats with me!"

Edward's eyes snapped to mine, understanding quickly spreading across his features. Abruptly, before I had a chance to move, I found myself occupying the rapidly vacated driver's seat. I shot a quick smile at Edward and hoped that we had flown past Charlie too fast for him to realize that I hadn't been driving. My dad may be a man of few words, but he wasn't stupid so I was praying that he had been paying more attention to the car rather than the driver.

I glanced at the review mirror and noted Charlie had gotten out of his cruiser and was ambling toward my door. I took a deep breath while I scrambled to come up with a story to explain why we were home from our honeymoon. Edward reached out and grasped my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Its your dad, Bella, not the Spanish Inquisition. We'll be fine." He gave me a quick peck on the cheek as I heard Charlie's boots crunching on the gravel next to the car. I turned away from Edward and looked up at my dad's irritated face.

In the dim light spilling from the dash and the headlights, it appeared that Charlie was only a mild shade of magenta, which bode well for us. However, he looked extremely annoyed as well as a bit confused. I figured I would try to ease the tension with a light greeting. "Hey Dad. What's up?"

Charlie leaned down and rested his forearms on the door frame. "Bella, I don't know where to start with the questions so I'll just ask. What are you doing home, why are you driving Edward's car, and what in the world possessed you to drive like a complete maniac? You could have killed yourself or someone else! What were you thinking?!" Charlie paused for a brief moment to acknowledge my husband with a curt, "Hello Edward."

"Good evening Charlie." Edward, always the master of polite decorum, smiled serenely at my fuming father. "How are you tonight?"

Charlie was visibly trying to calm himself, taking deep measured breaths. "Since you asked, one of my officers broke his leg yesterday, so I am working both of our shifts. That's why I'm stuck out here, rather than at home watching the tournament. So how am I? Not great. And then I see my daughter and her husband, who are supposed to be in the Seychelles speeding by me at 102 miles per hour, which made my night even better." His voice was layered with thick sarcasm.

I caught myself gaping at Charlie. I hadn't heard him speak so many words in a row in ages, if ever. I could see him starting to get more worked up, so it was time to step in to diffuse this situation. "Dad, I will explain everything. Do you think we could do it at your house though, rather than on the roadside in the dark?"

Charlie took one more deep breath, straightened up, and backed a step away from the car. "Fine. Meet me there. And please keep your speed reasonable, ok? I don't need another reason to give my daughter a ticket." With a nearly inaudible "hmph," he turned on his heel and strode back to his cruiser.

With a rush of air, I let out the breath I didn't realize that I was holding. I turned in my seat to look at Edward again. His expression was so placid and tranquil and contradictory to the stressful situation, it was comical. I burst into a fit of uncontrolled giggles as Charlie's car pulled past us.

Edward looked at me with concern. "You're not having a nervous breakdown are you?"

His question made me laugh even harder. Through the laughter I gasped out, "Breakdown? Ha….I've faced…bloodthirsty vampires…had multiple hits taken out on me…but mad Dad, oh no!...No!...It was your face!"

Edward's features scrunched up in confusion. "Since when does my face make you laugh?"

The giggles were finally subsiding. I wiped away the tears that had escaped and took a calming breath. I smiled sheepishly at Edward and tried to explain again. "Sorry. It was just your expression tipped me over the edge. You looked like you were contemplating the weather rather than being castigated by an angry father-in-law. It was funny."

Edward didn't seem entirely satisfied by my explanation, as he just shook his head in response. With a sigh he said, "Alright, Giggles. You are obviously in no condition to drive. Time to move back over here." Edward reached toward me again and began to shift me back to the passenger seat. With a devious grin, I quickly pulled away from his grasp.

"No way. Charlie thinks I'm the offending driver. Besides, I'm reluctantly beginning to like you car. I forgot how fun it is to actually drive faster than 10 miles per hour."

Leaning back into his seat and crossing his arms across his body, Edward huffed. "You never seem so keen on going fast when I'm driving."

Twisting in my seat to face Edward again, I couldn't help but laugh. Edward looked like a pouting kid sitting in the corner. "Please. There is a vast difference between 110 and 60 miles per hour. At least when I'm driving I don't feel like I'm about to hit a tree at any moment. And speaking of driving we really need to be heading to Charlie's now before he sends the entire Fork's Police Department after us. All 3 of them." I reached out, grabbed Edward's hand, and smiled at him. "Now let me have my fun."

A lazy smirk slowly stretched his beautiful mouth. Reaching over the center counsel, Edward placed my hand back on the steering wheel. "In that case, I would prefer that you keep both hands on the wheel. It will make it easier to avoid the deer that, given your luck, will no doubt decide to jump directly in front of us."

"Ha, ha. Very funny." But I knew he was probably right. As I pulled away from the shoulder, I left both my hands on the wheel, just in case.

The drive to Charlie's was quite uneventful. Despite my previous bravado about wanting to drive fast, I realized very shortly after we set out that the faster I drove the shorter the time would be until I faced my dad. Edward and I needed ample time to come up with a believable story about why we were home a week and a half early from our honeymoon so I slowed our speed. In the end, we figured the simplest tale was the best. We were homesick.

We pulled into the driveway behind Charlie's cruiser. After turning off the car, my rapid heart beat and the ticking of the cooling engine seemed deafening in the near complete silence. Lost in my nervousness, I jumped when Edward opened my car door. Looking up at him, illuminated in the yellow glow from the porch light, I tried to absorb some of his confidence. He bent over, collected my hands in his cool grasp, and pulled me up and out of the car. "Come on love. Let's get on with it. His thoughts are not nearly as bad as you are imagining they are. He's just worried about you." Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulder, gave me a brief squeeze, and steered me to the front door.

Knowing that it would anger Charlie even more if I knocked, upon reaching the door, I simply opened it and walked in to face my father.

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**A big thanks to kaosgurl00 for the suggestions. This chapter is mostly filler, but the Charlie showdown is next chapter. Please review guys! This story gets tremendously more hits than reviews and unless you review, I don't know if you are liking it or not. And if I don't know you aren't liking it I don't know what to changes to make and may cut it shorter than originally planned.**

**Thanks as always to all my readers! If there is anything you'd like to see happen in this story, I'm open to ideas.**

**-kc**


	10. Chapter 10

Though it had only been a few days, for some reason I thought the house would have changed even a little bit. But everything was just as it was before I left. The dust was still on the coffee table, the morning newspaper was strewn on the couch, my childhood progression marched across the mantle, and ESPN was blaring from the TV. There was one notable exception to the normalcy that had been my house however. There was now a wedding picture of Charlie, Edward, and I added to the collection of photos on the mantle. For some reason, this simple gesture touched me more than anything that Charlie could say. It showed me that somewhere, even though he might not show it, Charlie approved of my husband and was happy to display him as one of our little family for all to see. Despite being nervous to face Charlie, I found myself smiling slightly at my new insight.

I felt Edward's arm tighten around my shoulder and his cool breath tickle my ear as he whispered, "What are you smiling about love?"

I took a step forward, reached out, and traced my finger down the warm mahogany frame of our wedding picture. "Its just this picture. I like it seeing it up here, that's all."

Edward grabbed another photo, a teasing grin lighting his face. "I don't know. I like this one better." He paused, cocked his head, and appeared to be appraising the photo. "I just never pegged you as a perm girl before. Its definitely your look."

I swiped the picture from his grasp and placed it back in its place on the mantle. "You are hilarious. My mom was experimenting, and I wasn't old enough to say 'No Mom, looking like a poodle is not ok with me.' And now I get to live with the photographic evidence of my stylish 3rd grade picture."

In our brief moment of silence I heard Charlie rooting around loudly in the kitchen. He might as well have called our names, as obvious as he was being. I wrapped my arm around Edward's elbow and tugged him toward the kitchen. "No more making fun of my hair. Let's see if I'm about to get my first ticket."

Edward snorted rather indelicately. "Your first ticket? We really do need to get you out more. I'm sure Emmett and Jasper can come up with all sorts of fun activities for you. Not that I would let you go with them unsupervised, of course."

I tightened my grasp on his arm and pulled harder. "Come on Felony Fred. We can't all be as intrepid as you and you band of brothers. And my father _is_ the Chief of Police after all. That doesn't exactly lend itself to rule breaking."

As we reached the doorway of the small kitchen, I gently cleared my throat over the racket Charlie was making in the refrigerator. He straightened up and slammed the fridge door shut. "Well its about time. I was beginning to think you were going to spend all night giggling in the front room." He gestured to the tiny table. "Sit down so we can talk."

I glanced at the table, and then at Edward and Charlie. There were only two chairs and I didn't think it would be a good idea to let Charlie loom over Edward and I as we sat down. I proposed an alternative. "Could we go back to the living room Dad? That way there's room for everyone."

Charlie grunted. "Of course Bella. Tonight is all about your comfort. Please, lead the way." He made a broad, sweeping gesture with his arm, nearly knocking Edward in the back of the head in the process. I'm not sure that it wasn't intentional.

I made the quick trek to the couch repeating the whole way its because he loves us, its because he loves us. I flopped down onto the sagging sofa while Edward lowered himself gracefully next to me. Charlie strode over to the chair and eased his bulk onto the edge of the seat.

As Charlie appeared to be gathering himself for his tirade I made a mental note of his face. He didn't look nearly as angry as I thought he would, his skin remaining only a faint shade of pink.

Charlie took one final deep breath, rubbed his hands on his thighs a few times and began. "I'm going to start with the most important question. What are you doing home only a few days after the wedding?"

I glanced at Edward, who was wearing his placid mask of an expression again. I stifled an inappropriate giggle before answering. "That's the easiest one to answer Dad. We were homesick. Neither of us really wanted to be on some random island for that long. We wanted to come home. Next question." I felt a little stronger feeling Edward's reassuring hand running up and down my back.

Charlie didn't seem to like my answer. "Then why didn't you call when you got here? Why did I have to find out you were home by pulling you over? Which brings me to my next question. Bella, I have never known you to be stupid so please explain to me what could have possessed you to drive 92 miles per hour in the dark, in an unfamiliar car, in a town where your dad knows the entire police force?"

I almost choked as I felt a hot flush begin to creep up my neck. The methodical rubbing on my back abruptly stopped. "92? Umm…." I never thought to ask Edward exactly how fast we were going when Charlie most likely clocked us. In a serious lapse of judgment, I figured it would have been a much more reasonable speed.

"Yes, 92! Tell me why I shouldn't revoke your license right now!" Charlie's face was now beginning to resemble more of an angry tomato rather than its previous gentle pink. His hands had balled into fists and were now grinding dents into the cushion of the chair. "Dammit Bella, you could have killed someone!"

How in the world was I going to get out of this? Edward, however quickly cut off my panicked ponderings. "I'm afraid the speed was my fault Charlie."

"Your fault? Bella was the one driving. How is this remotely your fault?"

Edward resumed tracing his gentle patterns on my back. "You see, my sister has a fondness for modifying cars. I'm afraid my Volvo has some alterations which can make it difficult to moderate speed. To make matters worse, my dash light is burnt out so in the dark the speedometer cannot be seen easily. So, as Bella had only driven my car a few times previously, she was truly not aware how fast the car was traveling." I stole another peek at Edward, trying to hide my incredulous reaction. He offered me the faintest of grins in return.

Charlie harrumphed. "Special modifications, eh? I'm guessing these modifications aren't street legal, am I right?"

Edward had the good grace to smile sheepishly. "They aren't in this country sir."

"Carlisle is going to be hearing about this, Edward. I won't ticket you for illegal modifications, but I expect that you will remove them ASAP." With that, Charlie leaned back into his chair, closed his eyes, and began massaging his temples. "You almost gave me a heart attack when I saw that car flying by me that fast. I thought someone was dead or dying."

It really hurt me to see Charlie, who had always been a rock, to appear so vulnerable. I couldn't think of anything to say that was profound enough for this moment so I just kept quiet. I concentrated on Edward's cool hand resting lightly on the small of my back. Edward too was silent, so the only noise was the muted sound of the dripping sink floating in from the next room and Charlie's measured breathing.

Charlie abruptly leaned forward again. "Why didn't you tell me you were home Bells?" I could tell that he was trying to mask the hurt in his voice.

This was much more difficult to answer than the speeding question. "Gee Dad, couldn't tell you because I'm about to become a vampire like my husband and his family," wouldn't go over real well so instead I had to settle for more lies. "We hadn't told anyone we were back yet, Dad. We might not have been thousands of miles away but we were still on our honeymoon. We needed some alone time." I awkwardly smiled at Charlie, hoping that he would make the uncomfortable leap to my implied meaning. I saw the instant he made the connection as an embarrassed flush stained his cheeks. We must have looked like mirror images as I could feel the heat of the blood rushing to my face as well.

"Oh, I see. Well. Next time you want to be alone, I suggest you choose an activity that won't draw so much attention from the local law enforcement."

A quick giggle escaped my lips, picturing what sorts of activities Edward and I could do without police involvement. Edward must have been thinking the same thing as I could feel him silently shaking with laughter beside me.

Charlie, realizing what he had said and where I minds went turned a deeper shade of crimson. "No, that's not what I meant. Oh…"

I stifled my giggles, not wanting to think about doing those things in front of my father. "I really am sorry Dad. I was planning on telling you we were back. And you know I don't usually speed."

Cracking his first grin of the night, Charlie chuckled. "That's because your truck isn't capable of speeding."

"Hey, let's not pick on my truck. It is a perfectly good dependable vehicle."

Edward chimed in. "Sure, for an 80 year old." I took a playful swat at his chest just as Charlie's watch beeped.

He glanced down at his wrist and groaned. Standing up and stretching, he looked back at us apologetically and said, "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I really have to be heading to bed. I need to get to the station early tomorrow."

My lighthearted mood suddenly plummeted. Swiftly, I realized I needed to see Charlie one more time before my change. I couldn't abandon him without offering him some much needed closure. It wouldn't be fair.

I pried myself out of the deep couch cushions, stood up, and crossed the small room to Charlie. "Maybe we could have lunch one of these days. Edward and I are leaving for New Hampshire for school soon and I would love to see you again before then."

"Of course Bella. You pick the day."

"How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is perfect. Why don't we meet at the Fork's Coffee Shop around 1?"

"That sounds great Dad." I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a big squeeze. "I love you."

Charlie awkwardly put his arms around my waist. "I love you too Bells. Goodnight."

I disentangled myself from Charlie and walked to the door with Edward. Charlie got in his last parting shot before we left. "Maybe you should let Edward drive, though."

Edward chucked in response. "I couldn't agree more." With a bright grin, he held out his hand. "Keys please."

I fished the keys from my pocked and obediently dropped them into Edwards waiting palm. "With pleasure." I glanced back over my shoulder to Charlie. "Bye Dad. See you tomorrow."

With a barely stifled yawn Charlie mumbled a brief bye.

Edward herded me out the front door to the passenger side of the car. With a quick, chaste kiss on the cheek, he opened the door and guided me down into the seat. It wasn't until I sat down in the car that I realized how tired I was. This day was one of the most emotionally exhausting days of my life. I tried to hide my fatigue from Edward, but despite my best efforts, I was asleep before we got to the main road. I barely registered him brushing his cool fingertips on my cheek and softly whispering, "Sleep tight my beautiful, courageous wife."

* * *

**Thanks again to all those who have put this story on alert or on your favorites list! Also, don't worry. Bella's lunch with Charlie is not going to be a long drawn out affair. We are getting very close to her change!**

**-kc**


	11. Chapter 11

I drove back to my new home after having lunch with my dad, the late afternoon sun blindingly reflecting off the dull paint of my truck's hood. Saying that final goodbye to Charlie without letting him know it was the last time he would see me was extremely hard. More difficult than it had been at the wedding. At least at the reception there had been a sense of finality which is often associated with weddings. There was no such shelter to hide behind today. It was just me, and my exposed raw emotions, which I had to conceal the best I could.

I tried to pass off my melancholy behavior as apprehension about leaving for school. It seemed that Charlie accepted my explanation, but he isn't dumb. I'm sure he knew something was off. However, being that he tries to avoid emotional talks at all costs, he refrained from asking, much to my relief.

Attempting to clear my head, I opened my window and let the fresh air wash over me. Despite being held to a crawling speed by my prehistoric truck, the rushing wind in the cab managed to tug a few tendrils loose from my ponytail and blew them around my face. Tucking the wayward strands behind my ear, I glanced at myself in the rearview mirror. I laughed out loud seeing my expression for the first time since getting ready this morning. I wore the pained looked of someone trying to translate Sanskrit poetry.

With the sound of my laughter disappearing in the combined roar of my truck and the wind, my apprehensions vanished as well. I realized that couldn't focus on my worries about Charlie and Renee, finding lost werewolves, or Edward's reluctance to change me. I had done my best to tie up all my loose ends and now it was time to concentrate on my happiness. And what was going to make me happy was waiting for me at home. I pressed the accelerator as far as it would go and sped home.

As I pulled up to the house, Edward was reclining in an Adirondack chair on the front porch waiting for me to arrive. Upon seeing my truck roll to a stop, in his typical blindingly fast motion, he bolted from the chair and made his way to me. I slithered down out of the cab, feeling more lighthearted than I have in a very long time. Edward seemed to notice my change in attitude.

Grinning crookedly at me, he wrapped his granite arms around my waist. "It seems that lunch went well."

Mirroring his grin, I reached up, rested my forearms on his shoulders, and linked my hands behind his neck. "No, actually, it was pretty intolerable. Saying goodbye to Charlie that is. But it is over, and its time to get on with my life. My next life." Pressing myself closer to him, I tried to hug away the tension that suddenly stiffened Edward's body.

His smile fled, replaced with a worried stare filled with apprehension. "Bella, are you sure? We really don't have to do this." The heartbreak written over his face was almost my undoing, but I knew with the Volturi threat hanging over our heads my change was inevitable, despite Edward's protests.

At the same time all I could think was, "Man, he could be frustratingly repetitive sometimes." Pasting on my best brave smile, I focused on looking light and slightly amused. "Darling, if you ask me if I'm sure one more time I will happily bludgeon you with a hammer as soon as I am able."

Edward tried to silence me with a quick "Love…" but I stopped him before he could get his argument rolling. "Nope. We are done discussing. I love you. You love me. Together forever, etc. End of story."

Pushing myself up on my tiptoes I planted a quick kiss on Edward's shocked face, sunk back down to my normal height, and proceeded to lead my bemused husband back toward the house. Walking up the front steps, I softly called, "Carlisle!"

Within moments a smiling Carlisle met us at the front door, joined seconds later by Alice, who seemed to be radiating excitement from every pore. "Its time isn't it? I knew it! I'll meet you upstairs!" She spun on her heel, and tore off up the stairs, instantly vacating the spot she had only momentarily occupied.

Carlisle glanced briefly at the place where Alice had stood and then looked back to Edward and I. "I guess you have gathered by now that Alice has told everyone who would listen that we would be doing this today."

I looked up at Edward, confused. "If Alice told you, why did you seem so surprised when I implied that I wanted to be changed today?"

Edward opened his mouth to offer his rebuttal but Carlisle cut him off. "I said that Alice informed anyone who would listen. Edward made himself scarce this afternoon." With a fond smile, he glanced at Edward. "He might not have known, but he suspected."

Under his breath Edward grumbled, "And I thought I was the one who could read minds."

I laced my fingers with Edwards and gave him my best eyelash bat. "But I'm your wife. Don't you want to be with me for eternity?"

"Of course but…"

I shook my head. "No buts. I wouldn't want to have to hold you to that 'until death do us part' stuff."

Edward sighed in defeat. "I give up, again. Come on, soon to be little monster." He started tugging me toward the stairs. He paused, and turned back to Carlisle. "Care to join us?"

Carlisle grinned and began to follow us up to Edward's and my bedroom. "I wouldn't miss it."

As we were walking down the hallway to our room, my heart started to thud a rapid rhythm against my chest wall in anticipation of the events which were about to occur.

Upon hearing my accelerated heart beat, Edward glanced at me with a smug grin. "And here I thought you weren't nervous."

I shot a withering look back Edward's way. "I'm not nervous. We just walked up three flights of stairs. Sorry if it got my frail human heart beating a bit fast." I couldn't let him know that I was actually thrumming with eagerness to get on with my transformation.

Edward strode past me and opened the bedroom door. "After you darling."

I gave him a quick mock curtsey and a brief smile. "Thank you fine sir." I passed through the doorway and was met with four bright smiles and one attempt at a half-smile.

Alice was bouncing excitedly on the armrest of the couch, sparks practically shooting from her impatient eyes. "I told them all what was happening," she exclaimed proudly.

Jasper laid a calming hand on Alice's thigh, while directing a warm, reassuring grin at me. "We're here for you Bella. Good luck."

Swatting Jasper's hand away, Alice proclaimed, "She doesn't need luck. It's going to turn out perfectly. Now hurry up and get on with it."

Emmett was sitting on the other side of the couch with a huge arm resting casually across Rosalie's shoulders, a wide smile plastered on his face. "I still have 20 dollars on you turning out to be a clumsy vampire. Don't let me down."

"Thanks Emmett for your vote of confidence." A bit embarrassed with everybody's eyes on me, I walked self consciously across the room and scooted myself onto the center of the bed. As an unusual peace filled the room, I glanced at Jasper who was smiling serenely next to the vibrating Alice. Not trusting my voice I mouthed "Thanks," in his direction. He simply nodded his reply.

Edward sat down next to me on the bed, a nervous excitement gleaming in his eyes. As his gaze ran up and down my body, he seemed to be appraising my figure for the last time. Noticing me noticing him ogling me, he had the good grace to look sheepish. "I'm just trying to make a mental picture love. One last time I see my wife as a human."

Esme cleared her throat. Standing up from the opposite arm rest from Alice, she waved a small silver object back and forth. "No need for mental pictures. I brought a camera to capture this momentous day. Slide closer to Bella Edward, and try to look like you're not about to throw up."

After he nestled his stone frame next to mine, I wrapped my arms around Edward's cool waist and gave him a quick squeeze before I aimed my smile at Esme's camera. With a bright flash she captured my last few moments as a human.

Emmett, with amusement glittering from laughing eyes, eased up from the couch and crossed the room to the bed and sat down. "Ready? Are you sure you don't want anything else, chocolate bar, ice cream, Doritos?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm ready now."

Smiling brighter Emmett offered his fist for a fist pound. "Awesome!"

Looking at his proffered hand I smiled as I remembered a commercial I saw during the last Super Bowl. I couldn't help but grin as I looked back at Emmett. "I'm disappointed in you Emmett. I thought you would know the fist bump is out."

He looked confused. "Well, then what's in?"

Laughing, I couldn't bring myself to slap a vampire. Luckily, I didn't have to. Edward reached out and gave Emmett a quick slap on the cheek. "That is."

Emmett's expression changed from amused, to shocked, to devious all within the span of a second. He tensed as if he was about to fling himself at Edward as Esme's voice cut across the silence. "Enough boys. I think its time to let Bella have her moment."

Pushing Emmett off the bed and back to the couch, Carlisle sat down next to me. Raising a small vial he said, "This is morphine. I'm going to give you a shot of this in hopes it will help with the pain. I'm not sure it will work but we can try."

I smiled appreciatively at his effort to keep me comfortable and laid back on the soft pillows. After a cool swipe of an alcohol pad, a prick of a needle, and the burn of the morphine being injected I began to feel a warmth spread over me. I wasn't sure if it was Jasper or the drugs. At this point I didn't care.

"Alright. Are you ready love?" Edward asked apprehensively.

I looked into his eyes, looking for any sign of doubt or questioning. All I saw in their topaz depths was love and anticipation. "Yes I'm ready."

From the couch Alice said, "We'll be here if you need us Bella. Just ask." I thought that she should tell the same thing to Edward as he would most likely need more support than me for the next few days, but I didn't say it. I barely noticed as she and Jasper slipped quietly out of the room.

Edward smiled down at me from his seated position next to me on the bed. "Okay. Here we go…"

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**Sorry for the cliffie guys. This chapter would have gotten too long if proper attention was paid to the transformation and I felt that it deserved its own space. Feel free to flame me for making you wait, but it had to be done :)**

**Also, after rereading this chapter, I noticed that Bella seemed to be getting more self-assured and slightly more assertive. My first instinct was to go back and rewrite, but then I thought that after all her realizations over the past few days, she was bound to become a stronger person. Let me know what you think. Agree? Disagree?**

**Lastly, if you are curious, head over to you tube and enter bud light fist bump. That's where you can find the commercial Bella's talking about. It was one of my favorites. **

**-kc**


	12. Chapter 12

Edward placed one arm on each side of me, lowered his head next to my ear, and whispered softly, "I love you Bella."

Turning my head so I could look at my husband's face, I echoed his sentiments. "I love you too Edward."

With a brief smile, Edward straightened himself, took one last deep breath and picked up my right hand. Bringing my wrist to his nose, he inhaled deeply, enjoying the bouquet of my blood for the last time. With a slight shifting of my arm, I felt Edward's hard lips brush against my skin, his chilly breath escaping across my hand. Then, without warning, for the first time in my life, I felt the sharp edge of Edward's razor teeth as they began to slide over my pulse. The sensation was less painful than it was shocking, as if I was doing something wholly forbidden, but still desired more than anything else.

My reprieve from pain was short lived however. Though it had started as a gentle smolder only moments ago, the embers that had begun to burn in my right arm suddenly ignited into a fire that would rival those in the pits of Hell. It was the same blaze that had burned in the same hand years ago multiplied a hundred fold. I was only dimly aware of Edward moving to my left arm, ankles, and finally my neck.

Equal fires were beginning to consume each of my limbs similarly. With each beat of my heart, the venom was being spread through my system, and with each beat of my heart the fiery pain continued to increase. Though I fought not to show any outward sign of discomfort, my body began to writhe on its own accord. Such agony was simply not concealable. I clamped my jaw together with all my might, refusing to release the scream that wanted desperately to tear from my lungs.

As the torturous burning continued to escalate to unfathomable levels, all my other senses began to fade, with the exception of one tiny harbor of relief in my hand. The hand that was previously bitten by James, the hand that Edward now held and didn't let go. The feeling of relief could be compared to a single raindrop falling onto a blazing wildfire, but at least it was something I could focus on.

All my mental intensity was turned to my infinitesimally cooler right hand. After what seemed like hours of concentrating on inhabiting my whole self in a single limb, I began to feel a slight bit less tortured. It was as if someone had offered me a single ice cube of reprieve from my burning prison.

I focused harder on that hand, and on spreading that lukewarm paradise around my entire body. Though my efforts did not completely erase my pain, it felt now as if I were merely standing foolishly close to a camp fire, rather than directly in one. With that comfort, I was able to drift off to a restless sleep, my last sleep, filled with dreams of meadows, tears, and my beautiful husband.

I lost track of how long I had been immersed in my new world of muted agony. Sounds from the room blended with my dreams, weaving a tapestry of confusing noise and images. I pulled my consciousness away from the safe haven of my cool hand to ascertain the intensity of burning that remained. The stinging pain which assaulted my senses elicited me to take an involuntary sharp intake of air. The rushing wind over my scorched windpipe felt as if it had passed through hundreds of deserts leeching out ever bit of moisture before it passed my lips. But the fire was manageable.

I cracked open a stiff eyelid and cautiously turned my head, looking for Edward. Hearing my movements, he was alert in an instant. "Bella?" The trepidation in his voice was palpable. "How are you feeling?"

Trying to move as little as possible, I had to sort through my lingering pain before I was able to form a coherent answer. Licking my parched lips with an even more desiccated tongue, I attempted to answer Edward's question. "I…think I'm…ok. I still…burn."

I could see that my voice shocked Edward. It sounded as if my transformation was not only changing me into a vampire but also a man, since my voice was so low and hoarse. If I would have been able to, I think I might have even smiled a little at this thought.

I squinted in the direction of the clock, but my eyes had been thoroughly dried out, making clear vision nearly impossible. Attempting to moisten my lips again to no avail, I asked, "What…time…?"

Edward reached down and tenderly tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "It's 10:30 at night."

"When…?"

"Friday."

I looked up at Edward's face, trying to focus on his eyes and concentrate. Friday? What day did we start this debacle? Thinking was so hard…Wednesday. It was Wednesday evening.

Edward seemed to realize I was struggling. "It's been a little over two days love. Only a little while longer." This time, instead of apprehension, Edward's voice was laced with love and admiration. "Close your eyes. Don't fight. Let yourself go." I felt his cool fingertips brush across my cheek and trace a line down my jaw.

Let myself go. I took Edward's words as a double meaning and released myself back to the purgatory of waiting in anguish for the change to be completed, and let my human self go to the vampire I was about to be.

The next time I opened my eyes, it was not burning pain that awakened me but a low incessant humming. I looked around for the source of the sound, noting that my eyes no longer felt like swollen, sandy raisins. Also, strangely my vision was clearer now than it had ever been. Everything in our bedroom looked just a bit brighter, a tad sharper. It took me a moment to process exactly what I was seeing. But the exact moment I realized…

"Holy crap!" I snapped upright faster than I intended with the realization that my change was complete. I remained motionless waiting for the head rush or dizziness caused by sitting up too fast to wash over me, but neither did. Interesting. But where was Edward? It was so unlike him to leave any time I was in the least bit of danger. I was actually becoming a bit concerned because I was beginning to recognize the one remaining burning area in my body for what it was…my first hunger pains, or I guess now I should call them thirst pains. While the rest of my body felt cool and strangely limber, my throat continued to smolder.

Suddenly the bedroom door crashed open and my husband came bounding into the room, worry etched on every feature in his face. "Of course you pick the very instant I leave the room to wake up." He quickly shook his head. "Unreliable Alice." He looked appraisingly at me. "How are you? How do you feel?" The words were tumbling out of his mouth faster than I had ever heard, yet for the first time I was able to catch everything he was saying.

I started to grin. "I'm fine. Better than fine. But what I can't figure out is what's humming."

The worry fell away from Edward's face quickly replaced by relief. His lips were slowly twisting up into a bright smile. "You'll get used to that." He reached up and tapped his ear. "Super sensitive hearing, remember?"

"Ah, yes." There was going to be a lot I was going to have to get used to. But for now, seeing Edward standing there exuding love and tenderness and realizing that all my wishes had been fulfilled made me begin to smile like an idiot. I felt euphoric. I leapt nimbly off the bed and landed softly in front of a slightly bemused Edward.

I reached up to run my fingers through his hair and pressed my body tightly to his. "I guess Emmett is going to lose his 20 dollars. No more ungainly me."

Edward snaked his arms around my waist, a mischievous light in his butterscotch eyes. "I think I might miss your previous penchant for falling though. It provided a nice excuse to hold you."

"As if you ever needed an excuse. I seem to remember a few time you even held me against my will."

"It was for your own good, you know. And now I can hold you as often as I'd like." Just as the glint in Edward's eyes changed from mischievous to lustful, a loud bang sounded from the hallway followed by a screeched, "Seeeester!" Edward and I exasperatingly separated as Emmett and Alice bounded enthusiastically in the room followed by a much more sedate Rosalie, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme.

Wide smiles stretched across everyone's features, even Rosalie's, which surprised me to no end. Alice launched herself at me in a flying leap of a hug, for the first time not sending me careening backwards. "Bella! You look beautiful, I mean I knew you would, but I can't believe it, even though I knew before you knew that we would be sisters, and you would be one of us and with us forever, but now that it's really happened I'm so excited!"

Smiling at Alice's infectious enthusiasm, I disentangled our limbs and placed her back on the ground. "Thanks Alice. I'm still a little shell shocked myself."

Emmett could barely contain his excitement. "So are you?!"

I looked at Emmett, perplexed by his question. "So am I what?"

Smiling even wider, he proclaimed, "A clumsy vampire!"

Feeling a bit mischievous myself, I smiled serenely at my largest brother. "I'm not sure. I haven't really had time to test out my new faculties." I gave Edward's hand a quick squeeze to alert him I was planning something to get back at Emmett for interrupting us.

Emmett fired a glance at Jasper. "Double or nothing! I bet she trips by the end of the day."

Jasper took a moment to appraise the offer. His gaze moving from Emmett to me, he was no doubt trying to ascertain my feelings on the matter. I did my best to send out waves of embarrassment. Looking back at Emmett, Jasper replied, "You have yourself a bet."

I shook my head, pretending to be self-conscious about being the focus of a bet. I took a step toward Emmett, acting as if I was going to give him a playful swat on the arm. As I moved forward I pretended to catch my toe on the edge of the rug and began falling in his direction. Both Emmett and Jasper made a lunge to catch me, but I was faster. I neatly spun out of my descent, took a quick step to the left, and watched with a grin as they closed their arms around thin air.

"Ha! I'll show you a clumsy vampire!"

Emmett had the courtesy to look chagrined. "Ok, you win that round Squirt."

Jasper tapped Emmett on the shoulder, cleared his throat, and put his hand out.

Pushing Jasper's hand back down Emmett vigorously shook his head. "Not yet. The day is still young!"

Esme, always observant, suggested that everyone give Edward and me a few moments to ourselves and reconvene later in the living room.

Smiling appreciatively at Esme as everyone reluctantly filed out of the room, I couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of spending time alone with Edward in my newly durable form.

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**Whew! The transformation is complete! I wrote a version of Bella's change from Edward's POV more as an exercise for myself but if there is enough interest I could post that too. If not, I'll just move on. Let me know, either by review or PM. **

**Thanks for all your reviews! **

**Cheers,  
****-kc**


	13. Chapter 13 But really 12a

**First, sorry for the delay! I know I told a few of you I would have this posted days ago. However, I was on call for work the past few days, and have had to go in every day and didn't have time to edit. Argh!**

**So without further ado here is Edward's view of Bella's change. This is only the second time I've attempted to write Edward, and I'm not particularly happy with the way the first try turned out, so please no flames with how OOC I am. When I wrote this I wasn't intending for anyone else to see it anyway :) I hope you like it and any feedback you have would be great.**

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I placed one arm on each side of Bella, lowered my head next to her ear, and whispered softly, "I love you Bella."

Turning her head so she could properly see my face, she echoed my sentiments. "I love you too Edward."

I offered Bella a quick reassuring smile while I sucked in a steadying breath. I tried to gather all my faculties, steeling myself for the exquisite taste of my wife's blood. I knew I had to tune out all other distractions if I was going to control myself once her blood touched my perpetually scorched throat. One day, Bella would understand how difficult of a situation she has put me in. But I love her, and since this is the one thing she wants most dearly, then I have no choice but to make her as happy as she makes me.

I picked up Bella's right hand. Glancing at the crescent scar marring her palm I brought her wrist to my nose and inhaled deeply. Of all things having to do with Bella's change, her unrivaled scent would be the one thing I would miss most of all, and the one thing that I could not be more excited to escape from. More times than I can count, her perfume has nearly been my undoing, but at the same time is one thing that is distinctly Bella. So many things would be changing…

Knowing I was becoming lost in my own thoughts, I shifted Bella's arm to better position my teeth. Squeezing my eyes shut, hoping for the strength to stop, I placed my lips gently on Bella's soft, warm skin and slid my teeth across her pulse as carefully as I could. Instantly, as her precious lifeblood was released, the venom began to pool in my mouth. Against my will, my breathing accelerated, bathing me in her exquisite aroma. I immediately cut off my breaths, not needing another temptation to keep drinking. As my venom seeped into her wound, I could see the shock that flashed across Bella's face.

Since I have met her, every step I have taken has been to protect her, and here I was slicing her open, causing fireballs of agony to erupt in her bloodstream. What was I doing? It's all for Bella, I repeated over and over in my mind.

I gently placed her right arm on the bed and lifted her remaining limbs, repeating the same steps, this time moving more quickly. I could see that the staggering burning was beginning to overtake Bella. Her eyes had glazed over, and she took on the look of someone wishing to be anywhere but where they were.

I glanced up at Carlisle for reassurance. I knew what I had started could no longer be stopped but I needed to know that I was doing everything I could for Bella.

With a gentle nod Carlisle softly whispered, "One more Edward. You're doing fine, and so is Bella."

With Carlisle's encouragement I tenderly touched my lips to Bella's excruciatingly tempting neck. Here her pulse was strongest and sung to me louder than any other part of her body. Here I had to fight against what I was most ardently. Not wishing to prolong either Bella's agony or mine, I made a quick nick, allowed my venom to fill the wound, and quickly pulled back. Not wanting to be entirely separated from Bella, I twined my fingers with those on her right hand and watched.

It was agonizing for me watching my strong, stoic wife writhe in pain. Each time I noticed her jaw muscles spasm, I could feel a small part of me shatter. It was infinitely worse knowing that I caused her pain, that it was my venom that was now burning its way through her system. I squeezed her hand gently, trying to impart some of my strength to her. Inexplicably, Bella seemed calmed by our contact. Her body stopped struggling and her face relaxed into an expression of mild discomfort, rather than expressed torture.

After a few brief moments, Bella look as if she had drifted off into a restless sleep. Sadly, I realized this twilight sleep, this mockery of the restful peace she had known before would be the last slumber of any kind Bella will ever have again. I hoped at least that she had one pleasant dream to bring with her into our new lives.

Jasper returned, after having left the room to avoid Bella's blood. Obviously sensing my torment, he sent peaceful waves my way. "You need to try and relax, if not for your own sake, do it for Bella. She doesn't need to catch your agonizingly worried vibes."

Despite myself, I had to chuckle. "Bella would think someone kidnapped me if she didn't feel the undercurrent of worry. She always says I worry too much."

"She's right you know. Between repressed sexual frustration and apprehension about Bella being injured you have been a nightmare to be around."

If he was anywhere near me I would have threw a loving brotherly punch at Jasper. "Let's not discuss my sex life right now, ok?"

I caught Jasper's quick smirk. _Or lack thereof_ he thought silently. "But see, I did get your mind off fretting over Bella's every movement, didn't I?"

I sighed. "Yes you did, and I thank you for that." I smiled gratefully at Jasper, who had taken up residence on my couch.

Another calming blanked wrapped itself around me, and I embraced it. _I'll be right here for you_.

Sending Jasper an appreciative smile, I tuned my attention back to Bella.

Jasper ducked out a few hours later mumbling his apologies and something about Alice needing advice about something I didn't catch. I was so focused on Bella I barely noticed his departure.

A dozen more hours passed before I was pulled from my reverie with Bella's sharp, ragged intake of breath. My gaze flew to her face. I was surprised to note the subtle changes that were taking place, not yet complete. The angular nature of her jaw was softening, her eyes were nearly imperceptibly more almond shaped. But most shocking to see was the pain which was written on every feature.

It was my own personal hell watching as she struggled to open her waterless eyes, moisten her parched lips. "Bella?" Unsuccessfully, I tried to keep any apprehension out of my voice. "How are you feeling?"

Bella laid unmoving, save for the rapid blinking of her eyelids. She appeared to be gathering her strength to speak. When she did finally reply, it was with a voice ravaged by pain and dehydration. "I…think I'm…ok. I still…burn."

Despite the lingering pain she must still be feeling, I thought I detected a glint of humor in her eyes. Only Bella could find something humorous in this situation. I could feel my chest swelling with pride and love for my brave wife.

Bella turned her head trying to read the clock, but her dry eyes were making clear vision difficult. Attempting to speak again, Bella huskily asked, "What…time?"

With her minute movements, a dark lock of her hair had fallen across her cheek. I reached down and brushed it behind her ear, trying to convey all my feelings for her in a gentle touch. "It's 10:30 at night."

"When…?"

It had been just over two agonizing days. "Friday." Bella's gaze met mine, confusion and exhaustion shining from her fathomless brown eyes.

"It's been a little over two days love. Only a little while longer." I wish I could reassure her and comfort her and tell her I would gladly switch places with her if I was able. Instead I settled for, "Close your eyes. Don't fight. Let yourself go." Brushing my fingers over her cheek another time, I watched as Bella gave up her struggles and settled into another fitful sleep.

Carlisle and Alice sat with me for the next few hours, alternately filling the oppressing silence with mindless chatter and kind words. As Bella passed through a particularly restless period I looked worriedly at Alice. "When will this be over?"

Alice rose from her perch on the couch and crossed the room to sit with me on the bed. "Only a five more hours Edward." She placed a soothing hand on my forearm. "Bella will be just fine."

Torn between being overjoyed that Bella and I will spend the rest of eternity together and feeling tormented over her unyielding choice to become like me, I simply shook my head. "How could I have let…"

Carlisle cut me off. "Edward, you and I both know that there really wasn't any other alternative. And please consider this is what Bella wanted, not only for the safety of her family, but for herself."

I took a moment to consider Carlisle's words. I knew he was right. However, I needed to get used to the idea that Bella would no longer be soft, clumsy, and breakable. Perhaps a part of me would miss feeling as if no one could protect her as well as I could. She would now be able to do that for herself. Maybe she'll let me pretend…

Alice gave my arm one last reassuring pat. "Carlisle and I will be downstairs if you need us, ok?"

Smiling gratefully at my family, I offered them a quiet, "Thanks."

Left with the near absolute silence, save for Bella's rustlings, I began to imagine the rest of our lives together. Previously, I had never allowed myself to entertain such frivolous images since deep down I always felt that there was some way I could convince Bella to stay human. However, now that the deed was done, I found that I really enjoyed picturing us 200 years from now, unchanged in appearance, but still unwaveringly in love with each other.

Despite myself, I felt a grin tug at the corners of my lips. Filled with ideas of proper husbands and wives, I was struck by the idea of bringing my newly more durable wife flowers. Glancing at the clock I noted that I still had 30 minutes before Bella began to stir, according to Alice's estimation. Placing one quick peck on Bella's forehead, I raced out of the room with the intention of heading to the garden.

I was not even halfway down the stairs before I heard Bella's proclamation. "Holy crap!" A low snarl escaped my lips. She was awake and I wasn't there. I pivoted on the spot and dashed back to our room, and flung the bedroom door out of my way.

Sitting in the middle of the bed was one of the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen. While I had been sitting with her, the changes in Bella's appearance had been subtle, and they still were. But it appeared that Bella had matured five years in the last five minutes. Her angles were softer, her curves were slightly rounder, and her hair had acquired a lovely mahogany sheen. And those eyes, brilliant red, as if they were colored by rubies, were sparking with confusion and elation.

I felt as if I was about to explode with a mystifying combination of love and worry. "Of course you pick the very instant I leave the room to wake up." Shaking my head I mentally chastised my sister for not getting the time right. "Unreliable Alice." Unable to tear my gaze away from Bella I continued to feel exceedingly anxious. "How are you? How do you feel?" I realized the words were flying out of my mouth but Bella seemed to have no trouble understanding.

In fact, a slow smile began to stretch across her face. "I'm fine. Better than fine. But what I can't figure out is what's humming."

The melodious tone of her voice, no longer the least bit raspy or hoarse, melted away all my anxieties. I couldn't help but match Bella's radiant smile. "You'll get used to that." I thought of all the things that would seem so different to Bella now while I reached up and tapped my ear. "Super sensitive hearing, remember?"

Realization spread across her features. "Ah, yes."

Inexplicably, Bella's smile grew even brighter so that now she was positively radiating delight and glee. Without warning, my wife, who had previously not been able to walk on a stable without tripping, leapt gracefully off the bed and landed deftly in front of me. I guess Bella wasn't the only one who wasn't going to have to get used to things.

Bella, molding her newly unyielding body against mine, stretched her arms up and ran her fingers through my hair. Flashing another smile at me she said, ""I guess Emmett is going to lose his 20 dollars. No more ungainly me."

I wrapped my arms around her waist, thinking back to my thoughts about always saving Bella from herself. I realized that I truly was going to miss her endearing clumsiness and told her as much. "I think I might miss your previous penchant for falling though. It provided a nice excuse to hold you."

Bella's bright scarlet eyes flashed with humor. "As if you ever needed an excuse. I seem to remember a few time you even held me against my will."

Touché. I'm glad to see that her quick wit is still intact. "It was for your own good, you know. And now I can hold you as often as I'd like." Pulling Bella tighter to me, I was thoroughly distracted by her new look and smell. I wanted nothing more than to drink in every inch of her beautiful faultless curves. I was so completely preoccupied that I didn't hear Emmett and Alice as they mentally shouted their way up the stairs. It wasn't until I heard Emmett crash into the wall next to the door frame and Alice shrieking that I was pulled back to the present and began to reluctantly disentangle myself from my wife.

I guess my plans would have to be postponed. I figured I would give them two minutes until I kicked them out, starting now.

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**I don't think I'm as happy with this chapter as I was with Bella's POV. But I guess that's because I'm used to being in Bella's head. What do you think? I don't think I'm going to do anymore chapters in EPOV unless requested. **

**Thank you all for such an amazing response to the last chapter!**

**Cheers,  
-****kc**


	14. Chapter 14

**We're back to Bella's POV. This chapter is mostly a little fluff and filler as Bella discovers her new world through her enhanced senses. Thanks to everybody who took the time to give me feedback on my foray into Edward's head! I really appreciate the encouragement and constructive criticism. **

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I was left alone again with Edward as everyone shuffled out of the room. It was still a shock to me how alive the silence now felt. There was no longer absolute quiet. It seemed as if every nanosecond was enriched by its own infinitesimal symphony previously shielded from my consciousness. In combination with the precise vivid clarity of my vision it was enough to overwhelm me.

I pulled myself out of my reverie long enough refocus on Edward's perfect form. Though I was now a vampire too and supposedly less vulnerable to his charms, the quickening of my breath proved to me that our bond wasn't simply that of a supernatural creature and his prey but something much more significant and profound. Though I didn't think it possible, in that instant of realization, I fell deeper in love with him.

It wasn't until Edward began waving his hand in front of my face that I was snapped back to present time. "Hello. Earth to Bella."

I looked up at Edward's face, noting that he was wearing an impatient smile. I closed the small distance between us and snaked my arms around his waist. "Sorry, I was a bit distracted." I pulled my gaze from his eyes to my hands, which had by their own accord, removed themselves from Edward's waist and were now tracing lines down his faultless chest. "It seems that I am still not immune to your charms."

Edward pulled me tighter to him, our unyielding bodies inexplicably molding themselves to each other. "Good. I would be concerned if I lost my dazzling ability. How else would I pry your thoughts out of you?" His face lit up into a brilliant smile, momentarily freezing my breaths in my chest.

Realizing what Edward was doing, I shook my head to clear the stars that seemed to form every time Edward directed his mesmerizing charm my way. I gave him a light punch on his shoulder. "Hey! Not fair!"

Still smiling, Edward put his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Sorry, I had to prove my point." Instantly sobering, Edward now looked at me with concern. "But I had to check because I wasn't sure if you would be honest with me when I asked you this." He paused.

"Asked me what?"

"How are you feeling? Really?"

I wasn't sure what he was getting at. "I feel great. Never better. Why do you look like you're about to tell me you're really only a B student?"

Despite my poor attempt at a joke, Edward's apprehension didn't lessen. "It just seems that for someone who doesn't have to anymore, you're swallowing an awful lot. It makes me think that you're not as fine as you think you are." He comfortingly rubbed his hands up and down my arms while I took a moment to consider what he was saying.

I had been so wrapped up in noticing the changes in my senses that I didn't pause to seriously contemplate my biggest change, the continuous burning in my throat. That's when my new reality fully hit me. I was a vampire. I couldn't just grab a pop tart to stop the hunger pains anymore. I needed blood to survive. Lots and lots of blood. If I would have been able, I would have become nauseous at the thought. I glanced back to Edward with what must have looked like unadulterated dread pouring from my expression.

Edward rested his cheek on the top of my head and continued tracing his soothing pattern over my arms. "It won't be that bad Bella. Once you do it, every time gets a little easier. It's instinct. Trust it."

I sucked in a shaky breath and tried to steel myself for what I knew I would have to do sooner than later. "Alright. Let's get this over with. Let's go hunting."

Edward's answering grin was a strange mixture of both worry and elation. It seemed that he was torn between the excitement of getting to share hunting with me and the uneasiness that I was going to crack under the pressure. I still wasn't sure if I wouldn't but there was no turning back.

Trying to put on a brave face I smiled reassuringly at Edward. "Let's bag me a puma!"

Edward chuckled softly. "I think it might be best to start out with something a little more tame. Maybe a deer or elk first."

He reached down and twined our fingers together. "Come on. Emmett and Jasper both heard your little proclamation and are excited to teach you the ropes." I caught Edward's quick eye roll. I couldn't agree more. Learning from Emmett and Jasper would be interesting.

As soon as we reached the bottom of the stairs my fears were confirmed. Emmett was dressed from head to toe in forest camouflage while Jasper looked at him with unconcealed frustration. "Emmett, how many times do I have to tell you that the camo is not necessary?"

Emmett was undeterred. "Yes I know that, but what fun is running around the woods if you don't dress the part?"

Jasper just sighed and turned away from his overly enthusiastic brother. "Now Bella. You need a quick lesson in forest warfare before we get going."

I cut him off before he could go any further. "Warfare? I thought we were just going hunting."

"Hunting is warfare with the animals. It must not be taken upon lightly."

What was he talking about? I thought Emmett was the one who always got carried away. "But I don't want to go to war with animals. I just want dinner."

Edward stepped in before Jasper had me launching grenades at a poor bunny. "Jasper, I don't think Bella needs an advanced lesson on the proper military tactics of taking down wildlife. Just the basics please."

Emmett jumped in before Jasper could speak again. "It's easy. You smell something you like, you figure out where it is, and bam! It's food! Simple!"

I gaped at my brother. "Simple? I used to hold fish funerals when my dad brought home his catch to eat. I hardly think taking down a living creature is going to be easy!"

Edward draped his arm across my shoulder. "Relax love. It will be fine. I won't let anything happen to you. Once you get out there and catch the scent your instincts will take over."

I had a hard time believing what he was telling me. "But what about the cute little…"

Edward cut me off. "Once your scent locks onto an animal it won't be any different than eating a steak. Trust me."

I sighed. "Ok, I trust you. Please stay close."

Edward squeezed my shoulders. "I wouldn't leave you even if Emmett was getting mauled by a pack of bears."

Emmett's head snapped up. "Hey!" Just as he was preparing to launch himself at Edward, Jasper cleared his throat. "Are we going to do this or do you want to take some time for another WWE Smackdown while poor Bella struggles with her thirst?"

"Guys, really I'm fine." But I couldn't resist the compulsion to swallow again. Stupid burning throat.

Edward smirked at me. "Sure you are." He started guiding me out the door and toward his car. "We're going to drive a ways out. Its summer and there are lots of people around…" He trailed off and shot a concerned glance my way.

I shuddered at the thought of possibly hurting someone. "It's ok. I knew what I was getting into. Please, take me as far away from humans as you can."

Edward opened my door for me and helped me into the seat. Emmett and Jasper were already settled in the back. As soon as I sat down, I instantly felt calmer. I twisted around and shot Jasper a grateful look.

"No need to thank me. It was for my own good too. Between you and Edward, this car is filled with enough tension for 30 people. Besides, we're heading to a place where Alice knows there won't be any people for hundreds of miles. She saw you doing just fine."

"Hey, where is Alice anyway? Didn't she want to come with me?"

Jasper suddenly became very vague. "She did, but she had some things to take care of at home."

I spent a moment trying to figure out Jasper's evasive answer, but was still too distracted by my impending hunt to give it much thought.

As the car rolled away from the house, Edward began my lesson again. "Remember, when you actually start walking in the woods for the first time, everything will seem altered to you. Sounds will be louder, things will be clearer, but the biggest difference you'll notice is that scents will be infinitely more distinct. Focus on that. Pick a scent that draws you in and center your concentration on it. Let it lead you."

I was desperately trying to absorb all that Edward was telling me, but as we pulled off the main road onto a small fire lane my anxiety escalated to a point where even Jasper couldn't completely eliminate it.

Jasper reached over the seat to place a calming hand on my shoulder. "Take a deep breath Bella. We'll watch over you." Leaving his hand in direct contact with me helped ease my fears and allowed me to get a grip on myself.

Edward placed his hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You'll be brilliant. Are you ready?"

Emmett could barely contain his excitement. "Yes she's ready! Let's go already!" He flung his door open and leapt out of the car into the small clearing where we were now parked. He raced around the car and plucked me out of the front seat. I couldn't help but let out a little yelp.

"Shhhh. No loud noises! That's rule numero uno. Hunting is all about stealth." Emmett proceeded to demonstrate an exaggerated army crawl across the damp ground.

I giggled watching my huge brother wiggle across the grass like some overgrown worm. "You're getting your pretty camo all dirty."

Undeterred, Emmett grinned. "It's not pretty, it's manly. And the dirt is all part of the disguise."

Edward collared Emmett around the neck. "Come on Rambo. Let's get going before Bella decides that she would like to give your tasty bear a try without us."

Emmett looked appalled at that thought. "You're not really going to try a bear your first time out, are you?"

Playing along, I looked slyly at Emmett. "I don't know. I am pretty thirsty. I'm not sure a deer will cut it."

"But…"

Edward stopped Emmett from launching further protests. "Don't worry Emmett, you can have all the bears you want. Bella needs to stick with something a bit more appropriate for a novice hunter."

Edward left the gaping, mud covered Emmett to give me an encouraging hug. "Jasper will lead the way, you and I will follow, and Emmett will bring up the rear."

I knew the reason for the formation was to keep me surrounded if any human would happen to cross my path, and I was both frightened at the thought and grateful for their efforts.

Drawing strength from another supportive squeeze from Edward, I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath, letting the unique scents of the forest invade my senses. I slowly exhaled and realized that I was now prepared for what I was going to have to do.

Placing my hand firmly in Edward's I looked at Jasper. "Show us the way."

With a quick smile, Jasper took off running toward the trees at full tilt. My gaze flew to Edward. "We're running?!"

Edward's answering grin was like lightening. "Of course. It's the only way to travel." Tightening his grip on my hand, he pulled me after Jasper.

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**Next chapter is the actual hunt. Thanks again to all my reviewers, especially those that faithfully review every chapter! I'm almost to 100 reviews. It would be awesome if I could hit that this chapter. No pressure or anything :)**

**Cheers and happy Friday!**

**-kc**


	15. Chapter 15

_Hey everybody. I want to apologize for my extended absence. There were a lot of things happening in my life that needed my attention more than my writing unfortunately. Thanks for your patience, and I hope it was worth the wait! A HUGE thanks goes out to J Plash who did an unofficial beta for me. I hope it lives up to the lofty standards J set in the fic Moonless Night. Check it out. It puts my writing to shame :)_

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Running?! What was he thinking?! Vampire or not, nifty moves in the bedroom or not, I was still inherently clumsy Bella. Bella, who could not be trusted to…

The brush of wind through my hair snapped me out of my thoughts long enough to realize that I was already running, my hand firmly secured in Edward's. My eyes snapped to his beaming face and then immediately back to the woods rushing past us. Edward chuckled at what must have been my extremely stunned expression. "See Bella, it's not so hard." A self-satisfied smile played across his lips as if to say "I knew you could do this but you wouldn't have believed me."

After all those times he had told me running is second nature, I had always thought deep down that he was actually being a bit smug, acting as if running faster than human vision could see was so easy. Now that I had experienced it first hand, I could say that honestly, running is one of the most exhilarating feelings I've experienced. I concentrated on the smooth action of my legs, seemingly acting on their own accord, moving seamlessly over the rough terrain. This type of coordination was previously unfathomable to me. The very thought of moving faster than a crawl over rough surfaces had been cringe inducing. Now, the cool breeze whipping over my face was like an intoxicant that I wanted to never stop drinking. I laughed out loud, consumed with sheer joy.

Emmett suddenly appeared next to me, opposite Edward. Speaking in an exaggerated whisper he muttered in my ear, "I thought I told you about the importance of stealth. No laughing!"

I looked over at Emmett in disbelief. "No laughing? And that's coming from the one person who laughs more than anybody else I've ever met."

Emmett's face took on a look of pained seriousness. "There's always an appropriate time for laughter. This is not one of them."

Despite my best efforts, a giggle escaped from my clenched lips. "Yes Emmett. You have always been the master of impeccable decorum."

"I am when there is a possible bear involved," he grumbled under his breath.

Edward stepped in to save me from any further lectures by Emmett. "Alice already told you that you're not going to find a bear tonight. Why don't you leave Bella alone to enjoy this moment?"

"But I…"

I didn't miss the meaningful glance Edward fired at Emmett. "Aren't you supposed to be behind us right now?"

Realization dawned across Emmett's features followed quickly by chagrin. "Oh, yes. Sorry." He quickly retreated to his assigned place in the rear.

It was still baffling to me that all this conversation was taking place while we were still running at top speed. How we didn't hit trees was still a bit of a mystery. My brief musings were interrupted as Edward turned his gaze to me. Anxiety was pouring out of every ounce of his being as he murmured, "It's time." With those two simple words the vampire equivalent of adrenaline shot through my body. If I still had a heart beat it would have been flying right now.

I turned my face to Edward's, looking for some reassurance. However, gauging from the expression on his face, it appeared that he was feeling as much trepidation as I was. As we slowed to a crawl and stepped into a small clearing, I heard Edward let out what I imagined to be a deep cleansing breath. I yearned to do the same, but I didn't want to hint at my feelings of fear. With my focus almost entirely on Edward, I barely noticed Emmett and Jasper slip away from us to circle the clearing.

Without looking at me, but standing at my side like a statue, Edward whispered, "Take it all in Bella. Take a few moments to savor the bouquet of the forest." Setting aside his misgivings for a moment, he gave my hand a gentle reassuring squeeze as I began to take in my surroundings.

It was the middle of the night, yet the forest seemed to be teeming with life; various creatures scurrying through the tall grass, far away owls calling to one another, and predators out searching for a late night meal. I couldn't help but grimace slightly knowing I now had to include myself as one of the predators.

Edward turned to face me, the concern he was feeling evident on his face. "Ok, love. We can do this one of two ways. One, you can watch one of us show you proper technique or two, you can follow your instincts and just try it." Edward's expression told me that neither choice was especially palatable and that he would rather scrap this whole excursion together. However, the thought of watching Edward, or anybody else hunt was both terrifying and strangely intriguing. Finally being able to be a part of it made me feel as if I was really truly part of the Cullen family. I looked up at Edward, trying to conceal the fascination that was beginning to bubble up inside me. "I would like you to show me if you don't mind."

I watching as conflicting emotions flashed in Edward's eyes. Trepidation, excitement, love, and confusion swirled around as he contemplated my words. "Are you sure you are ready to see me like that…?" Seemingly unconsciously, he was slowly shaking his head back and forth.

I took his other hand in mine. "You're not a monster. You're a hunter. There's a difference. Thousands of people hunt every day for food. You're no different…we're no different."

Edward still looked stubbornly unconvinced. "Maybe, but normal hunters don't kill with their teeth. I don't want you to have to…"

Beginning to get frustrated, I bit back a sigh as I cut him off. "Edward, if you haven't noticed, you are now stuck with me for eternity. I think it's time to get used to the fact that I am going to learn about every aspect of being a vampire, even the less glamorous parts. Now please, if you would, show me how to make dinner the vampire way or I'll ask Jasper to do it instead. If it helps, think of it as cooking me an old family recipe." I smiled encouragingly at my stubbornly silent brooding husband.

I sidled closer to him, pressing my body to his. Glancing at his unfathomable topaz eyes through my lashes, I whispered, "Please…"

A frown creased Edward's brow. Reaching down to untwine us, he muttered, "Now that's not fair."

I resisted his efforts to separate us and molded my new curves snugly to his. Stretching my mouth to his ear I whispered again, "Please…" As I sunk back down to my normal height, I gauged his expression.

Edward's lips were slowly stretching into a hesitant smile, the reluctance in his eyes now replaced by genuine excitement. "Alright, if you think you can handle it…"

He began pulling me behind him, tracing a path along the perimeter of the clearing. Our footsteps made barely a hushed whisper on the damp grass. Edward started narrating his actions. "First, allow the night air to fill your lungs…" He was sucking in huge breaths through his nose, his eyes closed. "Focus on a scent that calls to you…" His eyes sprang open and rapidly scanned the trees standing sentry around the clearing. I tried to mimic his actions, but not knowing what he was looking for, I failed to see anything of interest.

We had completed a circuit around the meadow and ended up next to Emmett and Jasper again. Edward released my hand and left me to stand with my brothers while he continued around his previous path. Still narrating, he murmured, "Allow the scent to guide you to your prey…"

Suddenly, I caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye. A moderate sized deer was ambling through the nearby trees. My gaze flew back to Edward as he had lowered into a silent crouch, and then abruptly sprang toward the doe. Trying to memorize his actions while being in complete awe over the grace of his movements was difficult, but I struggled to remain undistracted. Edward quickly ducked his head toward the restrained animal's neck, sliced his teeth over the carotid artery, and drank deeply.

It was over barely before it had begun. I tore my eyes away from Edward to glance up at Jasper and Emmett. Both looked completely at ease and undisturbed by the scene we had just witnessed. I shook my head. Of course they were utterly composed. They had been doing this since before I was alive. Jasper placed his calming hand back on my shoulder. Once again, I found myself wrapped in a blanket of serenity, put at ease by my empath brother. How I ever got along without him before, I'm not sure.

Emmett clapped me on the back. "See Squirt? Nothing to it." Sure, easy for him to say. I snorted indelicately but didn't offer him a further reply.

I looked back toward Edward and watched him dispose of his dinner under the nearest tree and quickly stride back toward our group. He was surveying my reaction worriedly. Once he reached us, being careful not to dislodge Jasper's hand, he gently ran his fingers along my jaw line and down the side of my neck. Trying to sound composed, the best he could manage was a clipped, "Hi." I could see by the expression in his eyes he had a thousand questions running through his mind, none of which started with hi. I twisted around, grabbed Jasper's hand from my shoulder, and placed it on Edward's instead. "Here darling. I think you need this more than I do right now."

Grimacing, he brushed Jasper's hand away and pulled me a few steps away from our brothers. His apprehensive expression was locked on my face, confusion and worry swirling behind his topaz eyes. Refusing to let the grin I was fighting show, I reached up and traced the creases above Edward's furrowed brow. "You need to relax or you are going to break something up there."

Edward's hand sprung up and grabbed mine. Pulling it from his face, he wrapped both of his hands around mine and held it between us. "Bella, you just watched me kill a living creature. How do you think I feel?"

With my free hand, I began to rub slow circles on Edward's back, attempting to channel some of Jasper's lingering calming energy. "I think you should feel that you just shared something very special with me. Something that we could have never hoped to share before. It was beautiful to watch. So, for me, please try to relax, even if just a little bit."

Edward closed his eyes and sucked in a deliberate deep sigh. When his eyes popped open again, their expression had cleared into an anxious but much less tortured gaze. "Do you think you're ready to try?" There was still plenty of concern laced through his voice but I appreciated the effort he was putting into being less tense.

I took a moment to consider his words. Despite the cool damp night air, the burning in my throat had not lessened. If anything, its intensity had actually increased to a level where I knew I need to take rather speedy action to remedy it. I looked up into Edward's concerned eyes with a firm resolve now burning somewhere deep inside me. "I have to be. Please let me try." I stretched up to place a swift but gentle kiss on Edward's cheek.

With one last longing, wistful look, Edward murmured, "Remember. Just let the scent lead you." He tucked a loose tendril of hair behind my ear and took a step away from me. With a glance I wasn't sure I was supposed to see, he nodded to Emmett and Jasper. They quickly fanned out around the clearing, no doubt as a precaution in case my first hunting attempt went somehow awry.

I moved to the center of the meadow and let the breeze wash over me. Taking in a deep breath, I focused on the new scents that assaulted my senses. So much more intense then they had been previously, it was difficult at first to identify any one particular bouquet. After a few moments of trying to pick out an individual aroma, I caught a trace of something mildly intriguing. I took a few steps forward and to my left, attempting to follow it like Edward instructed. The scent intensified, so I repeated my previous steps.

Suddenly, I was broadsided by the most potent fragrance I had ever smelled. It called to me as no other scent had before. I had to have it. Now. I felt a sort of red haze slip over my vision. It was as if I was becoming less of a sentient creature and more of a being ruled by instincts and intuition. My gaze scanned the depths of the woods, trying to locate my prey. Though it had not moved, I found the small deer standing under a tall tree about 30 feet away. I sunk into my first crouch and waited for my instincts to tell me to go.

The small flick of its tail acted as a starter's gun as I leaped from the ground and ran full tilt at the deer. Before it had a chance to react, my hands were around its neck. Without conscious thought I lowered my mouth to the animal's throat, made a neat slice, and tasted blood for the first time. I savored the feeling of the warm liquid sliding down my parched throat, drinking until there was none left. Thought my thirst was not completely sated, I was left with a feeling of minor irritation, rather than outright discomfort.

Having finished with my first vampire meal, I quickly came back into myself. Shaking my head to clear the last bit of haze, my gaze flew to my family. Shock over what I had just done was quickly replaced by humor as I looked at the faces of the three men standing before me. Emmett's mouth was gaping open, Jasper looked quite smug, and Edward appeared dumbfounded, horrified, and excited all at once.

I started grinning despite of myself. "So I guess I did ok for my first time, right guys?"

Emmett's booming laugh echoed around the small clearing. "Ok?! You were brilliant!" He rushed at me, plucked me off the ground, and twirled me around in a circle.

Edward, quickly regaining his composure, tried to rescue me from Emmett's grip. "I'd appreciate it if you unhand my wife." He muscled past Emmett and wrapped me in a tight hug. "That was amazing love. You are amazing." He leaned down and brushed his lips across mine. What started out as a gentle kiss quickly escalated into something that was much more passionate than Edward had ever allowed before. Our lips moved together as a single unit, tongues lightly brushing in delicate movements. Never before had we been able to abandon caution so thoroughly so we were quickly swept away with the heat of our first unencumbered kiss.

It wasn't until Jasper not so subtlety cleared his throat that we were snapped back to the present. "Hey guys, I appreciate a steamy make out scene as much as the next guy, but if you two throw out any more lust into this clearing I might be forced into inappropriately groping Emmett."

If I could have blushed, I'm sure I would now be one of the brightest shades of crimson. Being completely swept away in the kiss, I had forgotten about Jasper and Emmett standing only a few feet behind us. Edward and I tore ourselves apart, but one look into Edward's eyes told me that our kiss would be continued in a more private setting. I didn't need to be an empath to recognize the desire sparking somewhere deep within Edward. I wanted to go back home immediately.

As if he read my mind, Edward whispered huskily into my ear. "Soon darling. We need to finish up here though."

I sighed impatiently. "It better not take long." With a coy smile tugging at the corners of my lips I placed my mouth near Edward's ear and whispered, "I'm ready for my next lesson on how things are different as a vampire."

I pulled back and looked at Edward's expression to ascertain his reactions to my words. The smoldering embers that had been lurking in the depths of his eyes suddenly burst into full flame. I guess I had achieved my desired result.

Before Edward could respond, Jasper again interrupted. "Guys, please! You're killing me here. Enough with the newlywed hormones. Can't we finish up the lesson and get home?"

Heaving a big sigh, Edward murmured loud enough so only I could hear, "Ok, let's do this quickly. There are other things I'd rather be showing right now you." With a sly smile that would have stopped my heart if it wasn't already stopped, Edward stepped a few paces away from me. Speaking loud enough so that everyone could hear, Edward imparted his last few bits of wisdom as fast as he could. "I guess the important thing to remember is to never leave evidence."

I glanced over to the remains of my meal. "So I guess that means no bloodless deer left lying in the woods."

Edward nodded. "That would be correct. Bloodless deer might look a slight bit suspicious if anyone found it."

"Ok then, you want me to heave a tree out of the ground, slip the deer in, and place the tree back? No problem." I let just the slightest bit of sarcasm lace through my voice.

Emmett chimed in, chuckling. "I'm sensing your sarcasm Bella. Just pick a tree that looks like it needs deer fertilizer."

I swept my gaze around the clearing and focused on a tree that appeared smaller and more homely than the rest. I pointed at my chosen target. "That one."

Edward smiled encouragingly. "Just grab it by the base of the trunk and tug straight up. Here, I'll help. It'll go quicker if we both do it." He guided me over toward the tree, took my hands and placed them on the rough bark. "Now pull."

I tightened my grip on the tree and heaved with all my might. Too easily the tree uprooted and flew out of the earth knocking me to the ground with its sudden added weight. As Edward rushed to pull the tree off me, I could hear Emmett consumed with laughter behind me. I growled at him, "What is so funny?"

Triumphantly Emmett proclaimed, "Jasper lost the bet! You fell!"

As Edward helped me to my feet, I could see Jasper shaking his head. "Sorry to say it's officially tomorrow."

Confusion fell over Emmett's features. "What do you mean?"

Jasper tapped his watch. "It's 12:45am. I recall the deal we made was 'Bella will fall by the end of the day.' As it is now the beginning of the next day, you lose." Jasper smiled victoriously.

Emmett's face crumpled into a mask of defeat. I caught in his grumblings something that sounded like "Not fair. Stupid future seeing wife."

Edward interrupted his brother's moping. "Are you ok?" The worry was palpable in his voice.

I took a moment to move each of my limbs and stretch my back. "Yes, it seems everything is in good working order."

"Good." He paused, his fingers pinching in the bridge of his nose, and sighed deeply. "Even though Alice told me this was probably going to happen, it still scared the hell out of me."

I patted his arm reassuringly. "Remember, I'm not so breakable anymore? It will take a lot more than a tree to take me down."

For some reason my proclamation didn't seem to soothe him. In fact, it seemed to have the opposite effect. "Yes well…" He trailed off, his features tightening with the strain of withheld emotions.

"Edward, what is going on?"

He turned his gaze to me, but his eyes were a million miles away. "We'll talk about it when we get home. For now just put the deer in the hole."

I obediently dropped the poor animal in the depression as Edward deposited the tree back into its previous home, eliminating all traces of my dinner.

Edward grabbed my hand, gave it a firm squeeze, and started running toward the car. "Come on Bella. I think it's time to talk to Alice."

I guess my next vampire lesson would have to be postponed again. Edward's worry made me think there was something significant about to happen and significant in my life was usually not a good thing.

* * *

_As Breaking Dawn is coming out shortly (finally!) this story is going to be cut a little shorter than originally planned. It will be finished, but some previoulsy planned elements are going to be cut. I hope you will still enjoy it!_

_Thanks again for reading!_

_-kc_


	16. Chapter 16

**This is my official goodbye to this story. As Breaking Dawn is now out, there is little need to continue this tale much beyond this point. I hope it is wrapped up nicely and gives you all a bit of closure. **

**P.S. If you haven't read Breaking Dawn yet, there are some (pretty major) spoilers here. Be warned.**

* * *

We ran home in silence, Edward's mind seemingly an impenetrable wall. I tried asking him what was going on a thousand different ways, but none of my attempts even dented Edward's mental armor. Only his eyes betrayed that he even heard me talking. Every time I asked, a small flash of what appeared to be anxiety flared in his eyes. With each flicker of worry another dozen questions forced themselves into my head. Were the Volturi coming to check up on me? Were the wolves here to murder me, or worse, my family? Had Renee found out my secret? Was Jacob hurt? What about Charlie? Was he ok?

In the cavernous space that was my new mind, it seemed that I had plenty of room for all my fears, and more than enough ability to contemplate them all simultaneously. I wasn't sure if that new skill was one I appreciated yet. The swirling doubts, amplified by my newfound mental muscles, demanded my attention, insisted upon it, stripping away all the elation I felt only moments before. I abruptly pulled Edward to a halt. "Stop."

Forgetting my superior strength, I nearly threw Edward to the ground with my sudden freeze. Regaining his composure rapidly, Edward disentangled himself from me. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be the mind reader. I wanted to delve into the depths of his closed off psyche and unearth whatever it was that was causing him to look at me as if I might disappear at any moment. I wanted to shake all the answers out of his mute mouth. And as quickly as it came, his eyes shuttered once again as Edward attempted to tug me back toward the house. "Come on Bella. I'm not having this conversation now."

Rooting my feet to the ground stronger than any tree around us, feeling slightly like a petulant three year old I refused to move. With a calmness that I did not feel, I simply gazed back at my husband, waiting until he aborted his attempts to move me further. I sucked in a breath that I really no longer needed, stalling for half a beat, and then softly asked, "Please?"

Edward slowly shook his head, appearing to all the world as someone who had the biggest secret but was unable to share it. Raising his eyes from the forest floor to my face, he implored with his intense stare. "Do you trust me love?"

Unable to control my reaction, I felt the confusion flit across my features. "Of course, but…"

Silencing me with a gentle caress on my neck, he continued, "Do you trust Carlisle?"

"Absolutely. But I still don't…"

Another feathery touch grazed across my cheek. "What about Esme, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett?" Edward paused, looking as if he was trying to suppress the small smile that was tugging at the corners of his lips. "Ok, well maybe not Alice. But the others?"

I no longer attempted to mask my puzzlement. "I trust you all with my life. Now tell me what is going on Edward." Reflected in Edward's bottomless eyes, I could see my forehead furrowing so deeply I would be surprised if the creases ever disappeared completely.

Giving no reply, Edward's satiny touch roved up the side of my face to the lines etched into my marble skin, running over them in an attempt to smooth them away. He leaned in and gently kissed the tip of my nose, his sweet breath escaping over my face in a bouquet of honey, lilac, and glorious sunshine. If there ever was a Xanax for vampires, Edward's touch must have been it. With the feel of his fingers tracing patterns on one cheek, his lips meandering over the other, all my fears were summarily erased.

I felt the breath I didn't know I was holding whoosh out of my lungs along with the anxiety to which I'd been clinging. How could I stay irritated at my beautiful husband when his simple touch soothed every frayed nerve? Raw sensuality and soothing calm all rolled into one package. If I could bottle essence of Edward and sell him, I would be a rich woman. What woman, human or vampire alike, wouldn't want to feel like I was feeling right at that moment?

Knowing that he had thoroughly distracted me from my previous line of questioning, Edward's face broke into a slightly smug smile, which irrationally irritated me all over again. Did he always have to win everything? Maybe I should challenge him rather than Emmett to that arm wrestling contest just to prove that I could beat him at something.

As Edward noted my poorly concealed annoyance his grin spread wider. Running his soothingly soft hands up and down my arms, he softly chuckled. "Ok. I'll give you this. I'm overreacting, as always." Pausing as if he had just revealed the secret to eternal world peace, he appeared appropriately contrite. "Just trust me that I wouldn't take you anywhere that I thought would hurt you." His smile slipped from his face quickly replaced by a look of gentle pleading. "Come home with me and you will find out what this is all about. Please." With one last tender caress of my neck, Edward plucked my temporarily paralyzed hand from my side, turned back toward the direction of the house and, began running again. To bewildered to protest, I followed. As we ran back home I began to realize that even in immortality, Edward still had the capability to thoroughly dazzle me. I absently wondered if I had the capacity to do the same to him.

By the time we leapt over the river and our feet touched the bank of the opposite side, I was so completely wrapped up in my own dazzling plans that Edward took his turn to tug me to a stop. Looking up at his face, I noted that his worried expression was back. I could feel the tension rolling off his shoulders like a mist that was threatening to envelop my already fragile state of mind. Edward pulled me into a gentle embrace, still keeping his eyes locked on mine. "I want you to know, whatever happens in there, this was not my idea and I did everything to prevent it from ever happening."

With those words, I had the strangest sensation that my silenced heart would be beating like a hummingbird right now if it were still able. As we walked the last few paces toward the house I strained my ears, listening for any sign that something horrible was about to happen. I was met with absolute silence. Eerie, out of place silence. For a house that currently held numerous vampires, something was definitely wrong. Bounding up the last few steps, I flung open the door and was met with one of the most unwelcome sights I had ever seen.

No Aro, demanding I join him. No angry wolf pack, standing over the bodies of my family. No Renee, insisting I immediately tell her what was going on. But it was nearly as painful as any of those scenarios. It was a surprise party. I swiveled back around to my husband, who despite his rueful expression, had excitement gleaming from somewhere deep in his core. Shooting him a look of pure, undiluted distrust I made a move to brush by him, back to the safety of the outdoors.

Edward grabbed my arm before I was able to get past. "Bella, wait." His voice was a gentle whisper, not loud enough for anyone else to hear. "They wanted to do this for you. Especially Alice and Jasper. We all know how your last birthday party went and nobody feels worse that Jasper does. We also know that you aren't fond of parties but Alice assures us that you'll like this one. Please, give it a chance, for us." One look at his pleading face and I knew I had no argument. I would stay, of course.

I slowly turned around, letting a smile that I hope didn't look like a grimace slowly pull at my lips, and took in the sight before me. A giant banner stretched over the stairs that read "Happy (2nd) 18th Birthday Bella!" Ok, I had to admit that I appreciated that. Forever 18. I could feel my smile stretching wider now. The rest of the decorations were minimal but appropriately tasteful. Small vases overflowing with freesia dotted the tables while ropes of white lights twisted around stair railings and tables twinkling like fireflies whose motion had been suspended.

And in the corner of the room was my family, all wearing various expressions of anxiety, love, excitement, and cheerfulness. Alice was the most exuberant, vibrating in place with nearly uncontrollable enthusiasm. Breaking free of Jasper's calming grip, she flitted to my side, where I stood stunned and leaning into Edward for support. In the time it took Alice to reach me, I realized that I didn't even notice that Emmett and Jasper had left Edward and me during our run home. They must have taken the opportunity that my stubborn stopping provided to beat us here.

Returning my focus to Alice, I couldn't help but laugh at her contagious animated expression. She threw her arms around my neck. "You aren't mad at me, are you?" Shaking my head I disentangled myself from her and pressed myself harder into Edward.

Undeterred, Alice continued. "We couldn't let your birthday slip by unnoticed Bella! Besides, you're part of our family now and that gives us the right to buy you the appropriate presents. No complaints."

My gaze followed to where Alice was currently pointing. I felt the smile fall off my face like a boulder sinking in the ocean, replaced by a look of horror, as I took in the enormous mound of presents partially obscured by my enormous big brother. My glare snapped to Edward's face as I felt his body shake with poorly concealed laughter. "Traitor," I hissed under my breath at my disloyal husband.

Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulders, trying to loosen my bunching muscles. "Relax darling. It's a party, not an execution." Briefly pressing his newly soft and yielding lips to my earlobe, he continued whispering in my ear. "Besides, perhaps we can have a fashion show with some of your presents later." I was immediately thankful that I could no longer blush as all the racy thoughts of Edward and I in the bedroom began racing through my head. Unable to control my reaction, I twisted my hands into his hair and pulled his face toward mine.

However, before I was able to finish the seduction of my husband, I heard a few coughs, and one "Get a room!" coming behind us. Edward gently pulled my arms away with a longing smile. "Maybe we should open the presents first."

I huffed out an impatient sigh, but knew the faster I opened, the faster I could be alone with Edward for the first time since my change. I tore through the presents at record pace, suitably oohing and aahing over all but one of them. The little black negligee from Alice quickly got tossed back into the box before Emmett could make another inappropriate comment about my sex life. The pile was quickly sorted through until all but one small box was left.

Edward, at my side through the whole ordeal, looked at the box like he wasn't sure if he wanted to hug it or crush it. Rosalie's expression wasn't so ambiguous; whatever the present was, she was not happy about it.

Esme moved to sit next to me on the arm of the couch, running a loving hand over my hair. Carlisle picked up the lone box and brought it to me. "This one isn't from us, but was passed to us from a friend." Placing it in my lap, he joined Esme at the end of the sofa.

Nervously, I glanced at Alice and Jasper, who were sitting across from me with their backs against an end table. Jasper simply nodded, appearing as though he was not upset by this particular gift but not especially enthused either. Alice smiled brightly but seemed like she wasn't quite sure if I would like what was inside.

Alice's uncertainty was what unnerved me the most. Without speaking, I looked questioningly at Edward again. Edward plucked the box off my lap and placed it in my hand. With a resigned smile he murmured, "Open it."

I gently tore open the simple wrapping, discarding it into the giant pile that had accumulated across the room. Opening the box hesitantly, I wasn't sure I wanted to see what was nestled between the layers of batting. When I finally rustled up the courage to lift the cottony protection, what I did find made my breath catch in my throat. It was a note from Jacob, along with a beautiful garnet pendant, precisely the same shade as his wolfy coat. With shaking hands I opened the letter.

_Bella,_

_I'm not ready to come home yet. I need some time to work around the fact that you're not going to be the same. But on the other hand, I'm not the same either. Maybe between the two of us changing so much we really can just be friends. I also wanted to tell you that you were right. Her name is Renesmee and you'll meet her some day. She reminds me a lot of you actually. So, that's about it._

_I hope you have a happy birthday and give Edward a sharp bite on the shoulder from me._

_Jacob_

I was too stunned to say anything. I was vaguely aware of everybody's concerned stares. Edward was quietly running his hand over my back, waiting for me to recover from my shock. I pulled the pendant out of the box, turning it in my hands. It was a simple oval stone, but the dozens of facets threw rainbows of light arcing across the room.

I twisted in my seat to face Edward. "Did you know about this?"

His face pulled into a slight grimace. "Yes. Embry and Quil dropped it off during your change with explicit instructions to give it to you on your birthday. I didn't know what the note said though." His free hand reached up and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "Are you mad?"

Mad? How could he think I would be mad? I glanced around the room, concentrating on each face, offering what I hoped was a reassuring expression. I finished my sweep with Edward. Placing my hand on his cheek, I tried to bore my thoughts directly into his eyes. "Of course I'm not mad. How could I be mad at the most forgiving, most generous husband that ever existed?" I ignored Alice's whispered "I beg to differ." Continuing on, barely loud enough for the others to hear, I murmured, "You have given me everything and asked nothing in return. I am completely the opposite of mad." As an afterthought, though I didn't speak it out loud, I also tacked on, "and you are also the most outrageously gorgeous husband. How could I be mad at that?"

A look of shock suddenly ran across Edward's features. "What was that last part you said Bella?

"That I'm the opposite of mad?"

Edward shook his head. "No. After that."

Emmett chimed in. "She didn't say anything after that bro. Maybe you need a hearing check."

Looking more perplexed, Edward appeared as if he was trying to figure out a particularly complex problem. Leaving Esme's side Carlisle took a step closer to Edward. "Do you think…?"Glancing at Carlisle Edward merely, frustratingly nodded.

Abruptly grabbing my hand that had dropped back to my side, he placed it on his cheek again, covering it with his own hands. Edward stared at me intently. "Bella. I need you to concentrate. Think whatever you thought after you finished talking to me with the same intensity as before. Will me to hear what you are thinking."

I paused a moment. Where was he going with this? Sensing my hesitation, Edward murmured, "Just humor me."

Sucking a deep breath of concentration, I repeated my previous thoughts over and over in my head, willing with all my might that Edward hear them. After a few brief seconds, Edward's sharp intake of breath cut across my focus. Abandoning the exercise, I took in Edward's bewildered expression. He started mumbling, almost under his breath. "I can't be sure but I think you said I'm gorgeous." His gaze sharpened, focused in on my eyes. Grasping my wrists in excitement he whispered, "I _heard_ you." (BD 753).

"What?!" shouted seven voices simultaneously.

Edward's expression faded to dazed again as he contemplated this new development. "Bella, I actually heard you. Wow."

I shook my head to clear it, unable to comprehend how Edward could now hear my thoughts. I looked back to my baffled husband with shock. "Can you hear me now?" I asked in my best imitation of those annoying commercials, and lightly focused on images from the forest. Concentration screwed up Edward's angel face for a brief moment. He looked back to me, disappointment etched in every feature. "No," he said flatly.

Partially glad that some of my thoughts were still my own, I stroked Edward's hair back away from his forehead in what I hoped was a consoling gesture while curling my other hand around his neck. The close proximity of his body next to mine reminded me yet again that I badly wanted to spend some time alone with my new husband. Leaning over to whisper in his ear I murmured, "Perhaps we can practice mind reading later. I have some better plans for now."

A blinding, dazzling smile lighting up his face, Edward leapt to his feet and pulled me off the couch. Scooping up a few choice boxes, Edward turned to his family, pointedly stated, "Goodnight everyone," and tugged me toward our room.

Stopping our progress, I turned to our family. "Thank you everyone, from the bottom of my heart. Your love means everything to me." I took turns to hug everyone, and returned to Edward at the bottom of the stairs. As I drifted behind Edward I had a lot to think about. Edward could occasionally hear my thoughts, if I tried hard enough. My friendship with Jacob seemed like it was repairable. And most importantly I had eternity to spend with the most perfect creature ever in existence. A small, blissful sigh escaped as I contemplated exactly how lucky I was.

I barely registered my family discreetly leaving the house, Alice's trilling voice floating up the stairs toward us, "Told you she'd be happy," reaffirming again why no one should ever bet against Alice.

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**Sorry if this felt rushed! It was a lot to pack in and I really didn't want to split it up in two chapters. I hoped you liked it. A huge thanks to all the loyal reviewers and readers. **

**Also, I do have a little epilogue if there is enough interest. Also I'm working on a AU story which will posted in a few weeks. If you like that kind of thing, put me on author alert :)**

**Thanks again to all!**

**-kc**


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